Capitol Pumishment
by Capitolrebel13
Summary: The war is over and the Capitol Games are here! With distain for the Capitol, the Districts can hardly wait. But can an unlikely girl change their minds about Capitol people when she volunteers in her sister's place.
1. Chapter 1

**The main character doesn't come in until ch.4 so just bare with me.**

**Don't known any of the Hunger Games Characters.**

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Well this was a twist. Instead of interviewing the Head Gamemaker for this year's Hunger Games, Caesar Flickerman will be interviewing the new Head Gamemaker for this year's Capitol Games... The Capitol Games. That's what everyone calls them but it doesn't matter what their name is they're still the Hunger Games only with Capitol children.

If he had not seen what the Capitol had done to Peeta during the rebellion then maybe, just maybe, Caesar would hold some hatred or distain for the districts, but no that is not the case. He had liked Peeta from the very moment they met. The boy was bright, funny, good with words, just like Caesar himself, and he was deeply in love. When Caesar found that out he wanted to good straight to the President and demand for the Capitol to pick different tributes for District 12. Caesar, of course, knew he could do no such thing for the President would see it as treason and punishment for treason was being turning into an Avox. Now can you imagine Caesar Flickerman, Pamen's Master of Merriment, an Avox? The thought was too much of Caesar himself to handle, so instead him kept his head down.

When it was announced that both tributes from the same District could go home, Caesar went straight to Haymitch. Caesar was, by law, not allowed to bet on the Tributes or support them but he gave money to Haymitch saying that he could do whatever he pleased with it. If Haymitch spent the money supporting his Tributes, well that was not Caesar's fault. When it came to the showdown between Katniss, Peeta, and Cato, Caesar was holding his breath and praying that Katniss and Peeta would make it out alive. In fact, he so overcome with joy when Katniss and Peeta had made it as victors that he did not notice a gamemaker hand Claudius Templesmith a card. When Templesmith read the card aloud for everyone, including Katniss and Peeta, to hear Caesar loses his composer for a moment. He jumps up and asks Templesmith if he is playing some sick joke but then sits back down and remains silent. For the first time in Pamen's history their beloved joker had no witty come back to make audience laugh.

When Katniss and Peeta held out those berries, Caesar couldn't help but smile. If they could not be together in life then at least they could be together in death. This time he does notice the card Templesmith is handed and his smile grows wider when Templesmith announced the winners of the 74th Hunger Games.

After the Games were over and Katniss and Peeta were on their way back to the Capitol, Caesar was called into President's Snow's office. The President took about fifteen minutes, while looking over some paperwork, before actually saying something. It was one of the few moments in Caesar that he was practically speechless. He had met the President only a handful of time and all were with other people, the President's attention had never solely been on him. Caesar was not even sure if the President watched his interviews or anything else he did turning the off season. When the time finally came the President said he was not happy with Caesar's outburst earlier that day. The President also told him that he knew Caesar had been giving Haymitch money. When all was said and done, Caesar was lucky to get off with just a warning as it would be hard explaining to the Capitol why their favorite host had suddenly an quite his job. But the next time Caesar showed any treasonable behavior he would not only be turned into an Avox, he be thrown in District 12 to fend for himself and brought back to the Capitol every year as an example to those few Capitol citizens who consider treason against the Capitol.

That was when Caesar started to feel resentment towards his government. He knew President Snow rigged the Quarter Quell slips when he pulled out the one that said 24 victors shall go back into the Arena. Caesar had heard all about the riots in the outer districts, all because of what Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark pulled off with the berries. In his mind Caesar was cheering the rebels on but he knew he could nothing. Then there was the interviews. Caesar wasn't sure how to react to the news that Katniss was pregent and he didn't really have the time, he had lost control of the crowd. That year's Games were the hardest for him to host. It all went by in a blur, and when Beetee's plan to electrify the lake went wrong, or right, everything became so confusing that Caesar and Templesmith stopped their commentary. Before the night was over it had become known that District 12 was destroyed, District 13 was still around, the rebellion was in full bloom, and Katniss Everdeen was its symbol.

If he could have, Caesar would have left the Capitol to help the rebels but President Snow had called him back into his office for one last visit. The President told Caesar that he better not be thinking about running off because he was going to have Caesar under high guard. In Theory, he had no power at all but the President had seen how the public of the United States respond to their celebrities. When it came down to it the people of the United States were not that different from the people of the Capitol; and if the two type of people were not that different than Caesar Flickerman, one of the Capitol's most famous celebrities, held a lot of power over the public's opinion. If he turned against the Capitol government than a lot of Capitol citizens would too.

That first time he interviewed Peeta since the Quarter Quell, Caesar could hardly believe it was the same boy he met only a year before. On the outside, Peeta looked the same but his were much darker. When Peeta called for a cease-fire, Caesar was screaming in his mind _NO NO NO! _he knew a cease-fire would do nothing and the districts would be back where they started expect probably sending even more tributes to the Hunger Games. But Peeta was only saying what the Capitol wanted him to say so whatever he had said he could not be held responsible for it. That second interview was worst. Peeta looked a lot more worn down and less stable. Caesar felt guilty because he knew Katniss had to have been watching it and all she saw was that no one was protecting her lover. When that final interview came Caesar could hardly bring himself to look at Peeta yet alone say a word on camera. The cameras were focused on President Snow and Peeta anyways so it was not like he was on much. Peeta managed warned District 13 of the coming bombs and had been beaten for it. That interview still haunted Caesar dreams from time to time.

Now the war was over and the Districts had won. Snow was dead and, thanks to Katniss's own lack of stability, the women Coin, who was president of District 13, was dead. Paylor from District 8 was elected the new president and the Capitol people still weren't sure what to make of the situation.

Caesar sat back in his chair and remembered when he found out about the Capitol Games.

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**R&R please!**


	2. Chapter 2

_War had been over for eleven months and life in the Capitol had changed so much. Distract people walked around pointing at the many sites of the Capitols, the ones that hadn't been destroyed, and at Capitol people themselves. The Capitol people looked uncomfortable around the Distract people and often turned the other way when they crossed paths. Caesar had enough contact with Distract people, the tributes who had come the play the Games, to not be bothered by them. By the way things looked, the new government offered free visits to the Capitol for the poor districts in order for to really feel like they were united. _

_A museum had been opened in every district in order for them not to forget the Hunger Games and why they were wrong. Two separate museums had been opened in the Capitol, one that told the story of the United States of America, the country where Panem now stands. The second one tells the story of the world. When Paylor took over she had many officials go and find all that can be found of what the world once was. It is her belief that an unknown past is doomed to repeat itself. _

_ The museums were only just new so there was not much in them but there was enough to keep Caesar interested. While visiting the United Sates museum he learned about the struggles the United States had faced. From being colonies of the kingdom of Britain, the war of independence, the north versus the south in a civil war, to the industrial age, gaining more states, cars, Hollywood, the Great War, the Great Depression, World War 2, the Baby Boom, rock and roll, the Counter Culture and protests against the Vietnam War, drugs, racism, the threat of nuclear destruction, the Internet, and 9/11 and War on Terror. Caesar was about to get into the start of 2010 when some officials approach him and handed a letter. They told him to read it immedetly and wouldn't leave until he opened._

_ Inside, the letter was written by Peeta Mellark. He was inviting Caesar to what remains of Distract 12. Peeta said that him and Katniss had something very important to talk to him about and that they were expect to see him in a few days. Effie would be there to direct him to their house. Throughout the letter Peeta made it very clear that they were not asking Caesar to come over, they were telling him. Caesar was a people pleaser, he wouldn't deny it, which was the one reason he loved his job as a host, even if Katniss and Peeta were asking him he would have said yes. Along with the letter was a train ticket that left for District 12 at 7:30 the next morning. _

_ When Caesar got home later that night he realized he had never once left the Capitol. District people wear entirely differently cloths that Capitol people did and Caesar did not want to insult the people of 12. He phoned Effie and asked her to have some cloths ready for him to change into when he got there._

_ "What? Why ever would you want to wear their cloths?" Effie cried into the month piece but then stammered as if she just realized that what she said was prejudice. "Not that there's anything wrong with their cloths."_

_ "Effie." Caesar begins. "I've never left the Capitol once in my life. I really want to get the feel of what it's like in District 12."_

_ "Can't you just work in a mine for a few days?"_

_ "Effie, if I work in a mine for a few days I would _have _to wear their cloths." Caesar told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

_ "No you wouldn't." She responded innocently._

_ "You can't go mining for coal in sparkling blue suit. It just would not work."_

_ "But-"_

_ "Could you just get me some cloths Trinket!" He had not meant to say it so mean but she was getting on his nerves and he just kind of spat it out. _

_ On the other end Effie sighed before saying "Alright but don't say I didn't warn you."_

_ A few days later when Caesar got off the train Effie met him at the train station, just like she said she would, holding out the plainest clothes he had ever seen. They were a pair of old faded grey pants and a plain white shirt. Caesar did not like them from the start but he knew that he could not wear his cloths around the Districts. On the way to Katniss's house Effie was trying to tell him all about this romance she had going on with someone from District 3 but Caesar was not listening. He was overcome with the sight of the District to really hear a word Effie had said. Even though it had been a year since the war ended, District 12 was still almost completely in ruins. Well, that was not true, not everything was destroyed. Victor's Village was still intact as well as the square, the justice building, the school, and other small shops. The people who had returned started rebuilding the District but they still had a long way to go. _

_ Effie directed Caesar to the car that would take them to Katniss's house. "You'll be staying with Katniss at her house. Peeta's over there most the time anyways though so it's like they're already living together. Haymitch is a few houses down so if you really need anything just go to them."_

_ "Do you know what it is they want to talk to me about?" Caesar asked. Effie got this nervous look on her face and looked away. _

_ "No. I don't." Caesar could tell that she was lying but did not push, he knew that he would learn soon enough. It was about a twenty minute drive from the train station to Victor's Village. It was rather depressing, Victor's Village. Here were all these nice houses, which no one was living in, in a district that was in ruins. The mansions in Victor's Village were not destroyed in the bombing of District 12. Now that the war was over, Caesar would have figured the district people would destroy all the Victor's Villages; after all, the villages were just a reminder of the Games. _

_ Caesar walked up the front steps of Katniss's house and looked back but Effie had already started walking away. Taking in a deep breath, he knocked on the door three times. No one answered. He knocked again but still no one came to the door. When there was still no answer after the third time, Caesar grabbed the doorknob and slowly turn it, opening the door. Of course Caesar felt like he was trespassing but they had invited him and then not answered the door. Even before he took a step in, he heard music coming from the kitchen along with a male's voice:_

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down You'll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe & sound..._

_As Caesar got closer he could tell that the person singing on the track was a female and Peeta was singing along to it. In the kitchen Peeta had his back to Caesar and was decorating a cake. Peeta's voice may not make birds stop and listen but it certain can enchant humans. Caesar leaned against the doorframe and as he did the wooden frame creaked loud. Peeta stopped and spun around. He had become as alert as Katniss. When they locked eyes, Caesar gave a weak smile and Peeta glared at him._

_ "Katniss! Your guest is here." Peeta eventually yelled before he turned back to his cake. Above him, Caesar heard footsteps coming down the stairs. _

_ "Caesar Flickerman." Katniss said from behind him. "Long time no see." She smiled at him briefly but when her eyes darted to Peeta that smile vanished. She jerked her head toward the door. "Come on; let's go for a walk and I'll tell you why you're here." Katniss did not wait for Caesar to answer before she went outside. Caesar glanced back toward Peeta, who still had his back to him, then followed Katniss._

_ Outside, Katniss was half way down the street before Caesar caught up to her. _

_ "You walk fast," he told her._

_ Katniss smiled, "just a habit I obtained while in the woods." It was no secret now that Katniss use to break the law and poach outside the district boundaries. However since it was the only way to feed her family, and if she had not gone into the woods then she would never have become the person so perfect to be the symbol of the rebellion, she was cleared of all charges. The lands outside the districts' boundaries are now public, meaning anyone can venture into it._

_ The two walked in silence for a little while longer and it was Katniss who broke it._

_ "I'm sorry." Caesar stared at her in astonishment. _

_ "What? What are you sorry for? I didn't help Peeta when I had the chance. I didn't support the Districts the way I should have. I didn't stand up for what I believed in. If anything I should be the one apologizing."_

_ "Well, I really only meant for the way Peeta acted back at the house but I guess you have a lot more to be sorry for. He still doesn't trust Capitol people. You and him had a somewhat good relationship before the Quarter Quell, so I don't know if the Capitol had his memories of you distorted or if he just doesn't trust you." Katniss explained._

_ Caesar crossed his arms. "I hope they distorted them. I don't think I could live with the fact that Peeta had lost all his trust in me." Katniss eyed Caesar. She knew that he thrived off of people liking him, and he was not a hard person to like, so if someone as beloved as Peeta did not like him it ate away at Caesar. "But I really don't think that was why you demanded me here. So what is it?"_

_ Katniss stopped and looked around. She spotted a bench not far from them. After sitting down she let out a deep sigh. "The Capitol Games." She finally said._

_ "The what?"_

_ "The Capitol Games... It was decided over a year ago, right after the Districts had taken control of the Capitol and Snow and Coin were still alive, by the remaining victors to have one last Hunger Games containing Capitol Children." Caesar tried to interrupt but Katniss stopped him. "I know it seems wrong but what the Capitol did to us for 75 years was wrong. During the war, the District almost got themselves destroyed because most of the war was fought in the District. Not much of the Capitol was damaged. I mean, some of it was but not really enough for Capitol people to understand what it feels like. We've suffered so much Caesar. Before the Dark Days, during the Dark Days, and after the Dark Days. Don't you think it's about time the Capitol suffered for the crimes they have committed?" _

_ At first Caesar didn't say anything, he just thought about what Katniss had said. All of it was true of course. The Capitol people still did not know what it was like to truly suffer. They did not know what it was like to be without a home. They did not know what it was like to fight in war for most of the peacekeepers came from District 2. They did not know how it felt to lose their children as punishment for a crime committed by their parents. Caesar knew all this._

_ "What do you want from me?" Caesar asked, he began shaking slightly. "Where are you going with this?"_

_ "We want you to host the Games one last time. This time by yourself."_

_ Caesar stared at her in shock. "What? No. The Games are behind me. I don't want to host them. Not for the Capitol, not for the Districts. You said it yourself, the Games are wrong. You can hold them all you want but I _won't _host them."_

_ "Oh yes you will." Katniss and Caesar spun around to find Haymitch standing behind them. _

_ "Are you all out of liquor Haymitch?" Katniss asked. _

_ Haymitch scolded at her but otherwise ignored her question. He turned his attention back to Caesar "I don't see how you suffered much. You're still a Capitol person who didn't do anything and doing nothing about the Hunger Games was just as bad as supporting them. If you ask me you still need to serve out a punishment. Right Katniss? After all, you're the one who makes all the final decisions on the matter." _

_ Caesar turned to Katniss, who was now staring off into the woods. "Katniss please. I have suffered enough these last forty-some years. You think I actually liked doing all those interviews of children who were going off to die? You think I enjoyed interviewing Careers when they came back as Victors? Katniss please... Don't make me do this."_

_ A little more than two years ago Katniss would have loved to have a Capitol person begging her for something but after everything she's been through the feeling was numbing._

_ "The Capitol games are in a few months and everything else is almost done. I just want to relax now and try to forget about them until they're here. I don't want to waste time looking for a new announcer when I have one right next to me."_

_ "Katniss-"_

_ "Plus, if the Capitol people see their favorite host happily announcing the Capitol Games than it just might prove to them that the Districts are finally in charge... Caesar you will do it. You don't have a choice. If you try to refuse than I talk to Paylor and we'll see what the President has to say on the matter. She is the one who put me in charge you know."_

_ Caesar stared at her, not knowing what to say._

_"Well, would you look at that," Haymitch laughed. "You silenced a person who's more of a mockingjay than you are."_

_ Katniss did not say anything more; she just stood up and left. The rest of his time in 12, Caesar stayed away from Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch as much as possible, wondering around the district, getting to know what life was now like for the people who lived there. He even went into the woods, though he did not get very far for the moment he heard slightest movement he took off running back to the district._

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**Thanks for reading and Pleace review. Up next is the interview with Gale.**

**?: This is boring. When do I come in?**

**Capitolrebel13: Didn't you read the first chapter. You don't come in until chapter 4**

**?:WHAT? You're kidding right? I'm like the star of the story. This isn't about Caesar, well kidda sorta but not really.**

**Capitolrebel13: Just keep reading.**

**Peeta: *singing* Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.**

**Capitolrebel13: Peeta, you don't even know Finding Nemo.**

**Peeta: You should write a story about me watching it.**

**Capitolrebel13: Yeah, 'cause people would soooooo read that. *Eye roll***

**?:Ouch.**

**Peeta: Hurtful.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own the Hunger Games though if I did I woldn't have changed a thing.**

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So here Caesar was, sitting in his dressing room waiting for the show to start. When Paylor announced the Capitol Games, the people of the Capitol did not take her seriously. In fact they did not take her seriously until a few days ago when there was a reminder on the news about the Games along with a rule change: the Capitol Games are to be like the first and second Quarter Quells. Fourty-eight Capitol children had enter the arena, the first twenty-four were reaped and and rest were voted on by the Capitol citizens.

Caesar was still did not want to host the Games but when he went to Paylor she just repeated what Katniss had already said.

"It's time for a big big show!" Effie's voice broke Caesar out of his thoughts. He had not heard her walk in but apparently she did and she had Katniss with her. "Remeber Caesar ten more minutes till the show starts and we need you in five." She then left the room with a smile on her face.

"How'd you get stuck with Effie?" Katniss asked.

"I thought that was your doing," Caesar said. "As a way to farther torture me."

Katniss laughed. "Don't think of this as torture-"

"She never shuts up and she's not that bright. In fact, she's not even bright enough to know that she's not bright."

Katniss let out a sigh and shook her head. "I wasn't talking about Effie. I meant, don't think of hosting the Capitol Games as torture. Think of it as... getting ahead."

"What do you mean?" Caesar looked at her specialty.

"Think about it. How many hosting jobs have you had since the Districts took charge?"

"None."

"Exactly. I bet your money has been running down too hasn't it? Well, since the Districts are in charge it would be better to get on their good side. There are more people in the Districts than are in the Capitol. I'd remember that if I were you." When Caesar did not respond Katniss continued. "Anyways. I came here to tell you about... Gale." Through the refection on the mirror Caesar saw Katniss's face twist up as if in pain. "He hates the Capitol people and to him you're a Capitol person. He knows your reputation of staying cool under the pressure of the stage and he will do anything to embarrasses you in front of all of Panem."

"Caesar!" Effie's voice came from the other side of the door. "Two minutes!"

"Just... watch your back." Katniss gave him a weak smile before walking out the door and leaving Caesar alone. A minute later Effie came knocking on the door and ushered him out of his dressing room.

"Are you sure you don't want any make-up at least. Maybe the color maroon. I mean it's clearly too late to dye your hair."

"My hair is dyed. It's dyed black, it's natural color." Years of dying his hair multiple different colors had turned it grey (he was surprised it had not fallen out) and Caesar was not ready to give up his whole identity as a Capitol person nor was he was about to walk on stage with grey hair."And yes I'm sure I don't want put any make-up."

He pressed past her and out onto the stage where Gale Hawthorn, the Head Gamemaker of the Capitol Games, was already waiting. Caesar settled into his seat across from Gale.

"So Gale, umm..." Caesar started but trailed off when he saw Gale glaring at him. The victor Johanna came up to Gale and whispered something in his ear. Gale smiled and nodded. Someone over the intercom announced the show would be starting in less than a minute and the theme to Caesar's show started to play. Caesar looked over the crowd and saw that over half of it was District people. _I wonder if the government filled it up with District people or if Capitol people just did not want to come. _

"I bet the Capitol people will like this year's Games so much that they'll want to continue sending their children to them next year." Gale said to Johanna who was still leaning over him. The twenty second counter came on and she stood up and ran off the stage. Caesar and Gale stared a each for a moment before Caesar put on a fake smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your master of ceremonies! Caesar Flickerman!"

Caesar stood up and started thanking the crowd. He had planned on starting the interview off by asking Gale what it was like to be a Head Gamemaker but Gale turned things around on him.

"So Caesar, is not wearing any make-up or dying your hair your sad way of making it look like you actually care for unity for the Districts and the Capitol." The majority of the audience laughed, inculding Capitol people. Caesar was famous for turning things around for his interviewee but that did not mean that he could turn things around for himself.

"Actually no." Caesar started and the audience became very silent. "You see, when they were ordering my make-up and my dye they mixed everything up so I ended up with maroon hair and orange eye shadow and lipstick. Now I think everyone here can agree, regardless if they're from the Districts or the Capitol, that maroon is just an ugly color to begin with but pair it with orange and it just does not work." Caesar turned to the audience. "Does everyone here agree those two do work well together?" Everyone cheered and Caesar gave Gale a look that said "that's how you turn things around for the better" while Gale just glared at him.

"Gale, we have never had someone from the Districts be Head Gamemaker before. Would you care to tell what that's like."

"Well Caesar. Its a very new change for me. I'm from the Seam of District 12 just like Katniss." At the mention of Katniss's name the crowd gave a short cheer. "Yeah you all know who she is. Anyways, the Seam is the poorest part of District 12 and we, along with many other kids who were part of the Seam, sighed up for tesserae. Most the kids who were chosen to be in the Hunger Games were from the Seam."

"But Peeta wasn't from the Seam." Caesar stated more for the audience than for Gale. Plus Caesar knew that Gale had once been jealous of Peeta's relationship with Katniss. No doubt that bringing him up would hit a nerve.

"Yes but obviously not everyone who went to the Hunger Games was from the Seam. I knew a lot of the kids that were chosen to go into the Games. I never thought that I would get the chance to be here making up the Games for the Capitol people. It really is a great honor. Caesar, you know the Hunger Games have been with us for Seventy five years, that's a long time. They're part of our history but the in order for them to be part of our history they need to be in the past. I think we need to say good-bye to our past and what better way than to say good-bye to the Hunger Games than to send the Capitol children in for one last round. I think it's about time the Districts sat back and watched the Games without that fear that their child is going to be killed."

"So you think that the Capitol Games is a good way of mend old wounds?"

"Yes, I do. I'm just worried about one thing though."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Well, clearly the Games have been very popular in the Capitol but this year's Games are supposed to be the last right?" Caesar nodded. "Well, I'm just worried that the Capitol Games will be so popular here in the Capitol that people will want them to continue. After all, you seem to take enjoyment out of watching young people die. And for you personally Caesar, if the Games are permanently canceled than you'll be out of the job. I do believe you haven't been on television since your interviews with Peeta during the War."

"Well yes but-"

"There see, you have a reason for the Games to continue and nothing received more excitment than the Games."

"I do believe you underestimate the Capitol people."

"Perhaps I do. It's just, all my life the Capitol has not given me a very good impression. I'm hoping that once the Games are over and it's all in past that we can start over." The whole audience cheered in agreement.

"Gale. I must ask. What can we expect for this year's Games?"

"Well, I can't really tell you much Caesar but I will say this: it'll be nothing like any other year. So be expected to be blown away. Which shouldn't be that hard for you since you seem to be blown away every year by the tributes even though most of them are the same as the year before."

"Well it's not really the tributes that blow me away-"

"Oh Caesar are you saying that you never really cared about the tributes at all and everything we saw on TV was just an act." There was a gasp from the audience as everyone took in what Gale had said. _He's just like Peeta just in a nastier way._

"That's not what I meant-"

"Tell me Caesar. Was it the outfits that blew you away or the fact the Hunger Games were less than a day away."

The audience was completely silent on, hanging on every word that was being said on stage. Caesar looked out over the crowd and suddenly felt himself becoming every nervous. Gale said something more but Caesar could not quite make out what it was.

"What?" Caesar asked looking back to Gale. Laughter filled the room and Caesar could see that, even though he was smiling softly, Gale had an evil glint in his eye.

"Well, umm..." Caesar stammered. His eyes wondered backstage where he saw Katniss and Effie holding up a sign that read "Cut to commercial!" Slowly Caesar turned back to the Camera. "Well, I think it about time we took a short break. Ladies and gentlemen we'll be right back after these messages."

Once the Camera went off Caesar let out a deep breath and Gale started to laugh to himself. Johanna and Katniss walked on stage.

"Gale, that was a terrible thing to do to Caesar." Johanna said.

"Ah, he had it coming," Gale laughed. The two hugged each other while Katniss stared longing at them.

"I told you he would try to embarrass you." She said to Caesar. "But I didn't expect you to freeze up like that. What happened out there?"

"I don't know," Caesar said. "I just, I don't know, froze up like you said. I've never had an interviewee like him. Everything I said he tried to turn against me and not only that, he started to turn the audience against me. I've never had that before."

"Now that you've seen his ways, what are you going to do when the show comes back?"

"I'm gonna get my audience back and I know how I'm gonna do. I just need you to do something for me Katniss."

Katniss looked specialty at him. "What?"

"I need you to take me hunting in the woods of District 12."

"What? You need me to do what?" There was no way Katniss had heard him right. Even if she did, Prim had better chance of surviving the woods than Caesar did.

"Can you just do that for me?" Caesar looked up at Katniss with pleading eyes.

"Umm... We'll see." She said and looked back toward Gale and Johanna. Just then the announcer told them they had less than a minute before the show went live again. "Good luck Caesar and don't let Gale get to you."

Katniss and Johanna walk off stage just as the twenty second countdown began.

"I still don't like you," Gale said smiling.

"Well, you're not my favorite person right now either," Caesar replied taking in deep breath before smile as well. As the countdown hit five second the two turned to each other and acted as if they in the middle of a conversation.

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen." Caesar said into the camera. "If you are just joining us than let me remind everyone that we have Gale Hawthorn, the Head Gamemaker for the Capitol Games, joining us tonight. We were just talking about the woods of District 12." Out of the corner of his eye Caesar saw Gale tense up. "Everyone knows that you and Katniss use to go into the woods to hunt, would you mind telling everyone what you told me." He finished up fully aware that Gale had told him nothing.

"Well, umm, the woods were the one place that Katniss and I could really be ourselves. We both hated the Hunger Games and the Capitol and in the woods we, well, I could rant about them and not worry about being turned into an Avox. While in the woods it was like we were in an entirely different world all our known. A world that no one could ever invade and I hold those memories close to my heart."

"You two did a propo for District 13 during the war in the woods. You said that the woods was a place no one could invade, was it easy for you to shoot that propo or did it feel like an invasion of privacy?"

"Yes, I felt like it was an invasion of privacy but I knew it would help the propos so I kind of just bit back my tongue and went with it."

"So can I assume you're going to bite back your tongue a little longer."

"What... are you talking about?" Gale stared blankly at him.

"Oh well, Katniss is going to take me into the woods of District 12 for some hunting once the Capitol Games are over." Caesar glanced over backstage and saw Katniss's mouth hung slightly open. Now that he had announced it live to all of Panem she did not really have a choice. "Actually, once the Games are over I'm going through all the districts, spending a month in each of them, and really getting to know what life is like outside the Capitol. Everything will taped and aired through-out Panem. I think it would be a good way to unite the country. But this is your interview not mine."

"Well Caesar, I actually think we are out of time," Gale said.

"Are we now?" A voice came through Caesar's ear set and told him what Gale had just said. "I guess we are. That all for tonight folks. Tomorrow the reepings begin and then later I'll have on Plutarch Heavensbee. Gale Hawthorn everyone! The head Gamemaker for the Capitol Games!" The Audience stood and cheered as Gale waved and walked off the stage. The camera went off and Caesar went to his dressing room, waiting for Katniss to come and get after him about what he had told Panem.

Katniss to come to his dressing room but it was not to get after him.

"If I'm going to be taking you into the woods I suggest you work out some because if you don't you won't be able to pull back the string of a bow five inches let alone far enough to actually shoot an arrow."

"What about a gun?" Caesar asked. Katniss smiled a shook her head.

"You'd hurt yourself more than anything if I allowed you to use a gun. Have you ever even held one?" Caesar shook his head. "If you haven't held one than there's no possible way you've fired one. It would be a lot safer to start you off with a bow. Besides, I've never hunted with a gun and I don't plan on starting. Also, since you announced to everyone we would be doing this, without my permission, we do everything on my terms and you will not complain about a single thing. You will complain about the heat, you will not complain about the bugs, you will not complain about the bow, you will not complain about the animals, and you most certainly will not any bumps or bruises you may get."

Caesar swallowed hard. He understood that he had put Katniss in an unavoidable situation but she stilled scared when she talked like that, if she had to do this than she was going to make this the worst possible experience for Caesar.

Katniss turned to leave but then stopped. "Oh and one more thing. You are going to do the reaping tomorrow in the North Section. Now, see you later."

Caesar stayed in his dressing room for hours after Katniss had left, trying to organize his thoughts.

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**Captiolrebel13: Caesar may be a out of Character but I think Gale can be just as slick with words as Peeta can, when he wants to be.**

**Gale: He deserved it and I am just as sly with words as Bread Boy.**

**Johanna: I agree with Gale. **

**Rue: Caesar's not that bad. He's actually pretty nice.**

**Katniss: Oh my god, Rue! Are you commenting from Heaven!**

**Rue: I can not reveal where I am.**

**Gale: Look, going back to Caesar, and yes Katniss Rue is mostly likely commenting from Heaven, he's a Capitol person. And Capitol people just aren't that good. A few them are but not most.**

**Katniss: Like Johanna, I got to agree with Gale. Caesar's just not that great. I mean, he just conned me into traveling around the country with him for over a year. And apparently I have to teach him how to hunt. I don't want to think about how that will go. Not to mention he's got this god complex going on.**

**Caesar: What? No I don't. That's Plutarch.**

**Katniss: Oh yeah, that's right... But all the other stuff is true.**

**Peeta: Bullying! That's bullying Katniss! **

**Capitolrebel13: Enough of this! Whoever thought that it would be a good idea to introduce the Internet to you people was just down right stupid. Anyways, please review. Coming up you all finally get to meet the main charactor of the story.**

**?: Yay!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So,yes the main character is has finally come in. Once the Capitol Games start the majority story will be told from her point of veiw though from time to time the story will jump breifly back to other characters outside the areana such as Caesar (the announcer) Gale (the Head Gamemaker) Katniss (you'll find out what role she plays in the coming chapters)and Paylor may even make an appearence. For the most part though the story will be told from Chelen's POV.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of HG characters. If I did I wouldn't be on fanfiction.**

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The alarm goes off but I ignore it, expecting it to turn off on its own like it would on any other day. But today it won't turn off on its own and I know it. Slowly I roll over and bang my fist onto the snooze button. I rarely ever use the snooze button because I usually raise after the alarm clicks off. But... I'm hoping that if I don't wake up than today will not come. Of course this is logic is ridicules and today will come. When the alarm goes off again I sit up and press the off button. Rubbing my eyes I look around my room searching for my little sister. She is not here and I wasn't really expecting her to be. Most likely she's curled up in our father's arms because of nightmares.

You see, today is going to be a terrible day. Today is the day of the reaping. As punishment for the Hunger Games the Districts are forcing the Capitol to send their children to the Capitol Games, which is the same thing as the Hunger Games. The Capitol Games are to have forty-eight kids, like the second Quarter Quell. Twenty four will be chosen at a public reaping. The last twenty-four will be voted on by Capitol citizens, like the first Quarter Quell. If you ask me this is nowhere near fair enough to be justice but I guess it is close enough for the Districts. Two Quarter Quells doesn't equal seventy-five years of Hunger Games though.

My name will be in the reaping ball six times because I am seventeen and my younger sister Celi, who is twelve, will have her name in the ball only once. The odds are completely in my sisters favor but I'm sure that the Games still haunted her dreams.

On any other day I would get dress but seeing as I'm not going anywhere till eleven there's no real need. Besides that, it is eight right now and if I get dress in my clothes for the reaping than they would end all crinkled. I make breakfast, that's nothing new. Ever since Mom died, I've been taking care of the family. I wake up early, I make breakfast, I send Celi off to school, I make all of Dad's appointments, I help Celi with her homework, I cook dinner, I do almost everything. Not to mention all the schoolwork I have to do on my own time plus a job on the side. Thankfully Dad can pull himself together for work and whenever he's not at home, I guess the house reminds him too much of Mom.

When breakfast is about ten minutes away from being done, I go and woke up Dad and Celi. Neither of them want to move and push me away, they're probably hoping the same thing I was when I woke up. Celi's favorite food is homemade chocolate-chip waffles, so when I tell that they are what I cook for breakfast she instantly jumps up and runs downstairs. Dad, however, does not stir.

"Dad," I start, "we need you today. Celi needs you. Can't you pull yourself together for at least a couple of hours." I wait about a minute and a half and when he still does not answer I refuse to wait any longer. "Fine. Be like that. I guess I'll be all Celi's got." I spin on my heel and make toward the door. The last thing I say before leave is, "you know, Mom wouldn't want you to live this way."

Downstairs, Celi has already wolf down three waffles and a glass of milk. "Today is a big day!" I say but she only looks at me with sorrowful eyes. "Celi, you're twelve and that mean your name is only is there once. The odds are in your favor. Nothings gonna about to you. I promise." She still doesn't say a thing; she just goes back to eating but at a slower pace. I go upstairs, I already know what I'm going to wear but I didn't get the chance to pick out what Celi will wearing. I want both of us to wear something simple and easy to put on. I don't want to waste three hours putting on make-up and looking like a clown. If I do end up being chosen I want to show the Districts that not everyone in the Capitol is a freak. My dress is green that reaches just below my knees. Leaves are outline in gems at the hem. It has sleeves but they only reach my elbow and are made of see-through fabric. I'm not entirely sure who gave it to me, it was left on the doorstep on my birthday this year. There was a note that came with it wishing me a happy b-day and it was signed _CF_. The only person I know with the initials _CF _is Caesar Flickerman. Sure my mom use to work with him but that was seven years ago and there is no way he would know my birthday or Celi.

In the back of my closet I find the perfect dress for Celi. It's purple with a mist like design to it with no sleeves. It's mine but obviously it won't fit me anymore. If I remember correctly I've only it once when I was her age when went it Dad to the Victor's party. That was the worst night of my life. The Victor was from District 1 which meant she was a Career. There were quite a few tewleve and thriteen year olds that year and she had killed the most of them. She scared me and I'm thankful I never got to meat her.

It's a little before ten when Celi is done eating and finally gets in to take a shower. I clean up the kitchen and when she's done I help Celi get dressed. Next I jump in to take a shower, which is quite short because it's forty minutes to eleven. I put on my green dress and straighten my hair. Downstairs I find that Dad has finally got up and dress myself in a red tux.

"Chelen, you're beautiful." he says and holds out his arms for a hug. I ignore him and go to find Celi who, just like Dad, thinks I'm beautiful.

"Maybe I am but what is beauty without grace? I can barely stand in these heels let alone walk in them." The shoes I'm wearing are five inches high while Celi's heels are only three inches. She gives me a week smile and before we know it there is a knock on the door and peacekeeper usher us away.

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C

**Capitolrebel13: Reveiw if you wouldn't mind.**

**Chelen: I'm finally in the story! Oh wait... this story... Nevermind. I'm not happy to be in this story.**

**Capitolrebel13: What one did you think I was talking about?**

**Chelen: The other one.**

**Capitolrebel13: Yeah, well I'm talking about this one.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, so here's the deel. The Capitol is divided into five sections. The North Section: entertainment. The South Section: Policital. The East Section: Business. The West Section: Education. And last, the City Circle, where all four section's mix. People don't live in the City Circle other than the President. Each Section has their own square. And there will be three girls and three boys reeped from the Sections so that way it all adds up to 24.**

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The entire walk to the squre I can feel Celi shaking as I hold her hand. About half way to the square the peacekeepers separate Dad from us. Celi tightens her grip on me. At the square, kids from the ages of twelve and eighteen are everywhere, all dress outrageously, while parents and other adults huddle around the balconies. Only about half the people, who I figure are parents, look scared while others look eager and excited. I finally realize what Gale Hawthorn was talking about last night when he said he was worried that the Capitol people might like the Capitol Games so much that they'll want them to continue. His statement had made me up-set st the time but now I see what he means. The Hunger Games have become part of Capitol people's DNA and they don't look to egger to give them up.

I'm so busy looking around at everyone that I'm surprised when Celi stops walking and pulls me back.

"What's wrong?" I ask her but she didn't say anything or look at me. I turn to find what has her attention and see that the sign-in area is what has her freaked out. "Cel, don't worry it probably is just a prick on the figure. It can't hurt much. And I'll be standing right next to you. Just think of it like getting a shot at the doctors. Everything will be okay. And when it's all over I'll come find you." She slowly nods but I can tell that what I've said calmed her down. She flinches when they taker her blood and then I watch her walk toward the other twelve year olds as they take mine. I feel an electrical shock but that's all, I told her it wasn't so bad. I leave to where the other seventeen year olds are. I receive strange looks from the majority people around me. It is not unusual for people here in the Capitol everyone, expect a few people who I consider friends, always give me strange looks, I'm used to it.

I'm too preoccupied to really go look for anyone I know but that doesn't stop Theresa, my best-friend, from finding me.

"You ready for this?" She asks. Theresa's fashion sense isn't as simple as mine but it's also not as crazy as most people. She had on a short neon blue dress, well, it was short in the front and back but the sides with all the way to her ankles. She had on red go-go boots that went up to her knees, her hair was down and straight like mine, and all she had was some cover-up and red eye shadow. Like me, she wasn't into tattoos or dying her skin a different color. Hats disagree with her hair and so do _most_ hair products, though I've lost count of how many different colors I've seen her hair.

"I'm good to go!" I say with excitement.

"Sooooo what you're saying is that you're not ready at all."

"Yeah pretty much. You?"

"Does it really matter what happens here for me? I'm pretty sure my parents are paying people to vote me in." She crosses her arms and stares straight ahead.

"You still fighting with them?" It was a stupid question and I'm surprised when she answers.

"They'll never accept me. I just don't live up to their social status. These Games are perfect for them. I have no chance at winning. They want to get rid of me and have another child. To them I'm just something gone wrong and next time they'll do better." She just shrugged it off but I could see the pain in her eyes. I wouldn't go so far as to say the my father doesn't love me, he just stopped living when Mom died, and my mother made it very clear that she loved Celi and I very much. This is the one topic Theresa and I cannot relate on.

"So I was thinking," she says but then pauses and I take advantage it.

"Aw! Theresa! I'm so proud of you! Thinking really is a good thing to do." She smiles and my mission is accomplished.

"Do you mind if I spend the night tonight?"

"Do I ever mind?" Truthfully, I do mind but not for the reason you might think. It's Dad. I don't like Theresa seeing him the way he is but we can't go to her house, her parents hate me.

"Thanks," she says. "If I do end up getting voted in than I want us to have one last special girls' night."

As much as I want to tell her that she won't be going in, it would be a lie. We both know how her parents are. She going in and that's that. "I'll tell you what. I'll be your biggest sponsor and we both know Celi is adorable. If she asks people to sponsor you they can't turn her down. Between her and I, we can, and we will, bring you home." She smiles, shakes her head, but doesn't say anything.

When everything is ready to go three important people come on stage. One I recognize as Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen's lover and a Victor the seventy-fourth Games. Most people blame Katniss for the rebellion and what she did with the berries, but it wasn't the berries, it was Peeta's confession of love for Katniss that started everything. If he hadn't done that do any of you think that they would have ever change the rules so that two people could be crowned victor? And if they never changed the rules then Katniss would never have done the thing with the berries. My point is, Peeta was the one who caused the rebellion but he never gets enough credit.

I don't know who the other people are but it's clear when they sit down that neither them will be choosing from the reeping bowl. Instead, someone else walks on stage, someone I didn't expect. It's Caesar Flickerman. Theresa and I look at each other. For as long as we have been friends we've shared this crush on Caesar. I mean, sure he's probably three-times our age but with all those surgeries he doesn't look it. And here in the Capitol age difference only matters if one is older than the other's parents. I know for a fact that Caesar is not older than my parents.

When I was little mom use to take me with her to the studio where they filmed Caesar's show. I remember her teasing him, calling him a child or something like that. Caesar would fight back claiming that she was only a few years older. The Caesar I remember was a happy up-beat man who wanted nothing more than to please the audience and give the tributes one last friend before they went off to die. (I overheard him crying to my mother one time after the interviews, he really is more sensitive than he lets on.) But the man on stage was shaking slightly, his hair was not 100% in place, and if you really looked close enough you could see fear in his eyes. The man on stage was not the Caesar Panem was used to seeing.

When the reeping started, Caesar greeted the crowd, trying to sound as up-beat as possible. He didn't joke around like he would before most his shows, which I'm thankful for. This is not a joking situation. Ladies first. Caesar reaches into the bowl and I was praying to fate to let the odds be in my favor. Well… let's just say that be the time the reeping ended the odds were and weren't in my favor.

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**Review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally time for the Reeping. Hope you enjoy :)**

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Caesar slowly looks out over the crowd of children and wonders if this is what it was like for the escorts each year. He wondered if fear and sorrow filled them up. But then, how could the escorts feel the same way he was feeling? They chose to be escorts. They chose the draw names from the reeping bowls. They chose their life. He didn't. This was worst part, Caesar could handle the interviews of the tributes when the time came, he could handle being the announcer for the games, but drawing out the names for any of the four sections of the Capitol pushed Caesar almost to his breaking point.

_Perhaps I will break down later when I get off stage or when I'm in front of Katniss so she can see what she's doing to me._ He could not hold it against her though. Katniss was only doing her job as part of the Capitol Games and now he must do his. He glanced at Jensor, the head of the Military. When she gave Caesar a nod of the head Caesar knew it was show time.

Caesar took in one last breath and put a smile on his face. "Ladies, gentlemen, happy Capitol Games and may the odds be ever in your favor." Effie had rehearsed this one line with him over and over the past two days till he could say it in his sleep. "Let's get started. First up, the ladies." Caesar walked over to the ball and reached in. He did not circle his hand, taking his time to choose the right name. In fact, Caesar did not even look at any of the slips. He just stuck his hand in and pulled out the first one he came in contact with. Grinding his teeth was all he could do to keep them from chattering as he walked back to the microphone. He held up the slip and opened it up and thought, _good I don't know this person._

"Tella Neckle ," Caesar said. The girls started moving out of the way as a fourteen year old girl, dressed in a bright yellow dress with grey gems, made her way to the front. Her hair was dyed three different colors, purple, blue, and orange, her eyelashes extended four inches and were the color green, and her high-heels had long purple ribbons tied to them. She made her way to the stage, without once losing her composer, and stood next to Caesar with her chin slightly up, just like a Career.

_This can't be happening. _Caesar thought_. She's too young. Why did it have to start this way? _When she looked at him, he forced a smile and nodded before going back to the reeping ball. The process from before repeated; Caesar quickly grabbed a slip, grinded his teeth, and let relief fill him when he saw he did not know the girl.

"Tyra Downser." This girl looked to be about eighteen. She wear a black pencil shirt with this puff thing at the waist, (AN: if you've seen the movie think of Effie's second outfit) it had an Egyptian pattern on it, her shirt was blue and in layer of string, (AN: kind of like a lampshade) and on her head was a black veil that trailed down to her knees. On stage she did not have her nose up but her composer showed that she had accepted her fate, though Caesar could tell she was shaking.

Caesar went back to the bowl, quickly grabbed a slip, grinded his teeth but was not fill with relief when he saw the name. _No. Not her. Anyone but her. _He could feel his body starting to shake and knew that he was on the verge of breaking down right there on stage. Yet he did not break down; not outwardly at least. Instead, he just stood there staring at the name until Jensor's voice broke his thoughts.

"Is everything alright Caesar?" She asked.

_No, everything is not alright! _He wanted to scream but instead just nodded. He took in breath and prayed that his voice would not crack when he spoke. "Celi Heavensway." His prayers weren't answered, for in the middle of her last name his voice went up and then down to a lower tone that he had started with. He forced himself to look up to see the youngest daughter of his late-best friend slowly making her way toward the stage. She was adorable, with long black hair and a simple purple dress. The same dress he had seen her older sister wear five years earlier at the Victor's Party.

Then he saw _her. _She slowly made her way out of the crowd staring with disbelief at her sister. She was wearing a green dress; the one Caesar had sent her this year for her birthday. She was the spitting-image of her mother. She was Chelen Heavensway.

"Celi!" She called. Celi spun around but did not stop, the peacekeepers were pushing her forward. "NO! NO! STOP! WAIT!" Chelen was running now and screaming. "ME! TAKE ME! I VOLUNTEER!" She pushed the peacekeepers out of her way. "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" She bent down next to Celi and told her something and Celi started screaming and clinging to her sister. She wouldn't let go until some other girl in a blue dress stepped forward and pulled her away.

The whole time Celi, with tears streaming down her face, was screaming, "NO!"

The peacekeepers quickly ushered Chelen to the stage. The place was silent; no one had expected a volunteer at all.

"What's your name?" Caesar asked slowly not really wanting to break the silence but knew he had to. He had to tell the country who this girl is.

"Chelen Heavensway," she said never breaking eye contact with him, making Caesar wonder if she remembered that they had once known each other.

"That was your sister wasn't it?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes. It was."

"She's adorable. Can't have someone like that dying in the arena can we now?" The Games are not about fame and fortune, they never were, and Caesar was not about to make them out to be. "Well… Time for the boys." Caesar was numb the rest of the time, not really caring who he chose. The three boys who were chosen were the ages of fifteen, thirteen, and seventeen. After he said them at loud, Caesar instantly forgot their names, just as he had done with the girls. When the reeping came to its end Caesar ushered the six kids inside of the Justice Building.

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**I tried not to make it too much like what Katniss did. Trust me Chelen and Katniss are not as alike as they appear to be at the moment. What Chelen will go through in the Capitol Games will not be like what Katniss went in the Hunger Games.**

**Review please.**


	7. Chapter 7

My mother had been the one to bring in the money, not Dad. As I mentioned before, my mom worked with Caesar on his show; in fact, she was one of the producers. Caesar loved being in front of the cameras but when he first started out he wasn't that popular. Then Mom came around. Show business and advertising runs in my family's blood, Mom was no exception. I guess she liked Caesar enough and thought he could really be someone so she bought the rights to his show. With his permission she turned everything around. Within no time his show had become one of the most watched shows in the Capitol.

I think he was eighteen when Mom took over his show and twenty-one when he was offered the spot of being an announcer/interviewer for the Hunger Games. Mom was offered a job in advertising for the Games. I guess… that was when she really started hating them. When she saw all the Games from backstage it really put thing in prospective for her. She got Dad to hate them too but I don't she was even able to convince Caesar. No, that's not true. After I caught him crying to her, Mom told me that Caesar eventually came to hate the Games but felt that they was necessary in preventing another rebellion (because that worked out sooooooooo well).

Inside the Justice Building I slumped against the far wall. Ok Chelen, get a grip. You knew this could happen. You knew that you could be going into the arena. Think logically, not emotionally. Gale Hawthorn had said that these Games were going to be like no other, what does he have in store for me?

"Chelen!" Celi yells. What? When did she come in? And Dad. And Theresa. Where did they come from? Celi sits down beside me and I'm thankful I wasn't crying. "Why?" She asks though he question doesn't make much sense. "Why did you volunteer for me?" Now she's crying. Great.

"I promised you had nothing to worry about."

"'Nothing to worry about?' What about you dying? I don't see how _that_ is nothing to worry." Celi was more than crying, she was sobbing now.

"Cel, please. There's nothing we can do about it now. I'm going in and that's that. As long as you're safe then I can die happy." I told her though it most likely didn't make her feel any better.

"Don't say that," she yelled. Yup, it didn't make her feel any better. "You're coming home. That's final. Chelen… you're strong and talented."

"With advertising." I finished for her. Yes, I have inherited my mother's advertising skills.

"It's a television show," Dad says. "Sell yourself but in a respectable way. The way your mother used to sell Caesar."

I try but can't seem to remember how my mother use to sell Caesar to the Capitol. Not that it matters, the idea of selling myself to anyone isn't appealing, rather its in a respectable way or not. I get up and walk over to Theresa. We look at each other for a moment before we hug. Don't cry. If I cry than the rest of them will start crying too.

"Celi and I will be your biggest sponsors," her voice is shaky but she's not crying. We pull away. Then I walk over to Dad.

He doesn't meet my eyes, instead looking everywhere but me. "Dad, look at me." I say but still he doesn't. I bring my hand up to his chin and force him to look at me. "I'm not coming back and if Theresa is voted in than most likely she's not coming back either. You'll be the last thing Celi has left. You have to get over Mom's death. If you don't than at least start making your own appointments. If you can't support her emotionally, support her finically. Move to a smaller house if you have to or even out to the districts. She just better have a roof over her head." He nodded and just then two peacekeepers came to take them away.

Celi gets up and clung to me. "Celi let go. You have to go."

She was still crying and shaking her head. One of the peacekeepers grabbed her forced her out of the room.

"Celi! I promise I'll try to win!" I yell back to her. I hope she heard me, I hope she doesn't think I've given up altogether.

I don't have any other friends. None that would come to say good-bye at least. So when the door opens again I'm taken aback. Who should appear standing before me but none other than Peeta Mellark. He doesn't say anything; he just stands in the doorway looking at me.

"Katniss called me," he finally says after three minutes of awkward silence… Wait. Why do I care if Katniss called him? "She said she saw the reaping and that she wants to mentor you." That's why I care Katniss called him.

"She wants to mentor me?" I say. I can't believe this. Can she even be a mentor? Well, I don't see why not, after all she is still a victor. I just thought... wouldn't she want to stay as far away from the Games as possible?

Peeta nods his head and walks out. I sit down on the chair, trying to keep myself. Katniss Everdeen, the Mockingjay on Fire, wants to mentor me! Wait… this doesn't mean anything. I'm still going to die. What _can_ she really do for me? She can't teach me how to fight. She can't teach me how to survive off the land. All she can really do is give me advice and get me sponsors. Even with sponsors' support I still don't have any much of a chance.

Ten minutes go by before peacekeepers come. They take me to a bus where the other tributes for the Northern Section are waiting. For a bus it looked rather nice, like one of those buses the rock stars travel in. At the other end was a large TV that showed the Southern Section of the Capitol getting ready for its reaping. I don't want to watch. I have no interest in the other twenty-three tributes that are going into the arena with me. I walk past everyone to a door that looks like it leads to the driving room.

"Don't you want to watch?" One of the boys called. I stop and shake my head before continuing on. If I thought it was going to be the driving room I was wrong. The room I've enter is another luxury room and, thankfully, without a TV. I grab something from the snack bar, a muffin, though I'm not sure why, I'm not hungry. Maybe it will help me calm my nerves. I slowly pick away at it. No one comes to see me expect the peacekeepers when they come to take us to the Training Center.

I'll be in on the third floor because I'm the third girl from the Northern Section. The third boy who was chosen will be my roommate. Below us will be the second girl and the second boy for the Northern Section. Above will be the first girl and the first boy from the Southern Section and so on with the Western and Eastern Sections. I think once the other twenty-four tributes are voted one the girl in third place and the boy in third place from the Northern Section will room with us too.

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**For all those who love Peeta, don't worry. The next chapter will be mainly about him.**

**Please review and thank you for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Though this chapter gives you a little insight on Chelen and Caesar's relationship, it's mostly about Peeta and his stuggle with the hijacking. **

**This probably goes beyond saying at this point but I don't own anything in this story about from Chelen, Celi, and the other tributes. **

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Peeta was coming back from telling the volunteered girl, Chelen, that Katniss was going to be her mentor. He was making his way out of the Justice Building when something caught his eye. He backed up and found Caesar Flickerman slumped over on a bench with his face buried in his hands. He didn't appear to be crying but he was shaking uncontrollably.

"What's your problem?" Peeta asked but instantly regretted the way he had said it. He sounded cold and mean. That's how the hijacked Peeta acted and Peeta was doing everything he could to stay away from that personality. "I mean, what's the matter?"

Peeta sat down in a chair across from Caesar. _Why am I doing this? I don't even care about the guy. _He waited for Caesar and after a minute was about to ask again when Caesar finally lifted his head. His eyes were red, so maybe he had been crying, but they were not watery.

"That girl Chelen, the one who volunteered, is the eldest daughter of my best friend Terra. She died seven years back by some unknown disease. I haven't had any real contact with her children since then but before she died she was a producer for my show. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for her. She would always bring Chelen with her to the set. Chelen loved the stage, she use to help me rehearse and she liked me too. Me and Terra would often hear her say to people "shh, don't tell anyone but Caesar's my boyfriend". She was so cute and she always made me smile. Her father was more attached her sister so I didn't see Celi has much." Caesar voice was shaky and Peeta saw that tears were threatening. "Chelen would always say "no one's gonna hurt my baby sister". And when Terra was on her death bed I promised I would protect them. How am I supposed to do that now? Chelen may be a survivor but she's not a killer." Caesar buried his face in his hands again.

There was silence in the air has Peeta thought about what he was going to say. "No one expected anyone to volunteer. I don't think Chelen is going to play by anyone's rule but her own. I see a lot of Katniss in her. Don't count her out yet."

"I wouldn't in a million years," Caesar said remembering his interview with Rue three years ago. Peeta got up, patted Caesar on the back, then started for the door. Outside was a car waiting to take him back to the hotel him and Katniss were staying at. Katniss was at the Western Section's reeping so he would see her for a couple of hours.

"Mr. Mellark!" Someone yelled just as Peeta was getting into the car. He turned to see Commander Jensor walking toward him. "You talked to Caesar, did you not?" Peeta nodded. "Would you mind telling me why it was he froze up on stage?"

"Umm." Caesar had confided in Peeta, told him something that was clearly difficult to talk about. Peeta was not sure if it was a secret or not but if it was Peeta didn't want betray Caesar's trust. _Peeta, you don't like the guy remember? _He told himself. _It doesn't matter if you tell Jensor or not._

"If you want to know why Caesar froze up, ask him yourself."

"But-" She started before Peeta interrupted her.

"You're a Capitol person?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, I am but I was in 13 after the Quarter Quell."

"That doesn't really matter." Peeta spat at her . "You're still a Capitol person. You're all the same! You just use other people to get what you want with disregard for them. That's what you did to the Districts for years. I'm glad the Districts are in charge now. If I was Paylor I wouldn't have any Capitol people in any high up position. Oh and I'm glad Capitol children have to go and fight to the death in the Capitol Games. It's about time we got some entertainment. If you really want to know why Caesar froze up, go ask him yourself!" Jensor took a step back. "Now leave me alone."

Peeta turned from and climbed in the car. The front and back seat were disconnected by a window. He picked up the phone that was between the seats and called the driver.

"Take me back the hotel." He told him.

"Yes Mr. Mellark."

The phone clicked off and Peeta dialed called the hotel. After a few moments someone answered. "Haymitch Abernathy." He said and the attendant put Peeta's call through.

"What?" Haymitch asked in a rather snobby way.

"Out of alcohol again?" A smile tugged and the edge of Peeta's lips.

"You and Katniss always assume that every one of my bad moods is caused by lack of alcohol." Haymitch spat at him.

Peeta would have loved to have said _That's because they usually are _but what came was something entirely different.

"Don't talk to me about that mutt! She's a horrible creature."

"Peeta." Haymitch said slowly, picking his were just right so he would not up-set Peeta farther. "Katniss is not a horrible creature-"

"Yes she is! She used in the Games. She made me believe she loved me when all she wanted was Gale. She never loved me and when that feast came, she abandoned me. She only saved from Cato because she knew that she couldn't go back 12 without at least trying to save me! Then she just ignored me and spent her whole time with Gale. It was all an act Haymitch! She used me to get on the Capitol's good side."

"Peeta. She never did any of that. She may not have loved you at first but she does now. And she didn't abandon you during the feast. She left to go get medicine for you. She saved you from Cato because she couldn't imagine a world for her without you in it. She hardly spent any time with Gale and when she did she was wishing she was with you. And if she wanted to get on the Capitol's good side, she wouldn't have held out the Nightlock berries."

"No!" Peeta shouted. "She was working for the Capitol the whole time. The Capitol wanted 13 to come out of hiding. They wanted the second rebellion to happen so that they can finally crush 13 and 12, showing once and for all who's really in charge. They wanted to show the Districts what happens to those who rebel even in the smallest of ways But they failed and the Districts won. And that mutt Katniss… the Districts should have executed her when they executed Snow!"

"Katniss is not a Capitol mutt. She was the Mockingjay of the rebellion. She was the embodiment what the Rebels wanted to accomplish. And you, you were a big part of the rebellion even though the Capitol had you. You were the embodiment of what the Districts wanted to take back from the Capitol and reclaim as their own. Katniss was the Hope and you were the Dreams of every District citizen fighting against the Capitol." Peeta had stopped arguing but his breathing was still heaving. Then the next time the person on the other end of the line spoke, Peeta realized it was had not been Haymitch talking about all. "Remember that game I used to play with Finnick, the one that you now play with Katniss, Real or Not Real? Well Peeta, those memories of Katniss being a mutt, they're not real."

"Annie," Peeta whispered. "Thank you."

There was a short pause before Annie replied. "You'er welcome."

"Are you back to normal yet," Haymitch roughly asked, taking back the phone.

"I think so."

"Good. Now why did you call?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I hate the Capitol."

"You're not the only one kid." Haymitch hung up without saying another word, which made Peeta smile. _Yes, I am not the only one._

* * *

**Peeta: That's not fair, why do I have to be the one who got hijacked. **

**Capitolrebel13: Because Katniss loafs you very much and Snow knew that.**

**Peeta: Still, I'm too awesome to be hijacked. Why couldn't they have gotten Gale?**

**Johanna: Well, well, welll. It looks like the Boy With The Bread is not so very nice after all.**

**Peeta: Nobody asked you Johanna.**

**Capitolrebel13: Peeta, do you love Katniss?**

**Peeta: Yes.**

**Capitolrebel13: Then think of it this way: if the Capitol had hijacked Gale than Katniss would have ended up with him. **

**Peeta: ... Please Review**

**Capitolrebel13: You took the words right out of my mouth**


	9. Chapter 9

**Capitolrebel13: Ok so first off, I'm a huge music fan (who isn't?) and so songs will incorporated in the story a lot. Some will be as songs lyrics like "Safe and Sound" was and some will be put in as dialogue. I will give credit to ever song i use at the end of the story. I'm a huge Green Day fan and the album 12st Century Breakdown has a lot of songs that fit well with what goes on once the Games start. One last thing, if you're a Green Day fan too then check out my fic _Panem's Eulogy._ Even if you're not a Green Day fan check it out anyways, it's about the Rebellion.  
**

* * *

"_Upon one summer's morning, I carelessly did stray,_

_Down by the Walls of Wapping, where I met a sailor gay,_

_Conversing with a young lad, who seemed to be in pain,_

_Saying, Terra, when you go, I fear you will ne'er return again._

_My heart is pierced by Cupid; I disdain all glittering gold,_

_There is nothing can console me but my jolly sailor bold.__"_

This is the song Dad sings, before and after Mom's death. It was the only thing that remained of who he was before she died. I don't know if he wrote or if he just substituted some of the words, though I do believe it wasn't original, Mom sang her own version of the song. When Celi and I were little they used to sing to us before we went to sleep. Now Dad just starts singing it at random times. I think Mom wanted to go to District 4 though, because she loved the water.

This is all my dream consists of. My dad is standing over the stove and singing the lullaby. There's mist in the all-around and a lightness in air. This must be before my mom died, I can't remember the last time Dad cooked.

"Hey, wake up." I open my eyes. I'm lying on the couch in the Train Center apartment. I guess I fell asleep. I'm still wear my reaping dress but it now all crinkled up. My hair is a mess and what little make-up I had been wearing is probably all smeared. To make matters worse, Katniss Everdeen, my assumed mentor, is standing right in front of me. Wow, she looks annoyed. I quickly stand at attention and bowed.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Oh, ummm. Well. I uh…" I trailed off. What was I doing? Bowing to her?

"Please don't do that again." She says and I nod. The boy tribute walks and gasps.

"Are you Katniss Everdeen?" He asks. No, no she's not. She's just someone who looks like Katniss Everdeen, duh. Katniss nods her head.

"I'm going to be your guys' mentor," she sits down in a chair that looks like it belong in an art museum. "And I have some advice for you." The boy practically runs over. He sits down on the couch and leans forward. He clearly wants to win or at least stay alive for as long as possible. I sit back down ext to him.

"Stay alive," a smile threatens at the edge if her lips. Is that all? Is _that_ the advice she wanted to give us? Next to me I can see the boy sit back, like he can't believe she has just said that.

"What good is that going to do us?" I ask. She looks over at me. "We already know that. Do you think we'd just give up?" Some tributes do. Most the ones who did were from 9, 10 11, and 12, who figured they had no chance at winning. But I promised Celi I would at least try.

"That was the first piece of advice Haymitch gave Peeta and I."

Who the hell is Haymitch? Oh, wait. He's the drunk from 12 who was the first to ever get back two tributes from the same Games. He also managed to keep both of them alive through the Quarter Quell and the War. "So what's our stagey?" I ask. The boy gives me a look of complete shook and I act like I don't notice. I think I know him, that face looks familiar.

"Your names would be nice place to start," Katniss say leaning back.

"Chelen." I say coldly. "Chelen Heavensway."

"Not very friendly are you?" She says with a smile. "Do you really want to know how to win these games? You get people to like you." Wait, what? Get people to like you? "Didn't see that coming did you? Neither did I when Haymitch first told me. I thought he was kidding. I mean after all these are a games of killing, how would people liking you connect with that. You'd be surprised."

Let's see, how many times have I seen the lives of tributes be saved because of something a sponsor sent them? I don't know but it's been a lot. Perhaps it is about getting people to like. "I'm sorry Katniss." I say. "It's just, all of this is new. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was just surprised by your advice and wasn't sure how to react." I smile sweetly and wonder if she's fallen for it. People always tell me my sister and I can charm almost anybody. I hope she fell for it. The look on her face says she didn't but when she turns to the boy I know she won't push.

"And you?"

The boy sits up straight and says, "I'm Kyro Tellasen."

And there you have it. No wonder he looks so familiar. He used to be, or maybe he still is, the school bully. He went around picking on everyone, and I do mean everyone. Not just the kids who were like really nerdy. He beat up the "popular" kids too. Then one day I saw him trying to bully Celi who was like in the first grade while he was in the sixth. I stepped in and that only made him want to beat me up. Hah! As if I would let him. I easily dodged his first punch then jabbed him in the gut and popped him in the jaw with an uppercut. Needless to say he never bothered Celi again. After that if he tried to go at anyone else the kids would come get me. The moment Kyro saw me he backed off the kid. I doesn't matter how much he got in trouble with the teachers, I was the only one he was really afraid of.

After eighth grade he went to a different high-school than I did so I haven't seen him in four years. The look him his eyes tell me he remembers me as well. I guess it's not easy to forget the only person who really stood up to you.

"Now what?" he asks, looking from me to Katniss.

"Now you tell me something about yourself so I can let the stylists know what to make up for the Tributes' Parade tomorrow."

"Aren't we just going to some kind of entertainers?" I ask.

"Well yes but there are going to be twelve of you for the Northern Section. Do you know how boring it will be to see three sets of four people dressed alike? We need you to stand out in some way. The stylists and the other mentors and I decided that it would be best for the twelve of you to be dressed somewhat the same but still have individual quality for each of you. Your personal stylists would also like to have your guys' outfit done before the voting is finished and announced tonight. After you two tell me what makes you different from others then you will be off to the Remake Center where you will be cleaned up, not that you two really need it. From there you will meet and talk with your stylist alone before meeting back here for supper, Caesar's interview with Plutarch, and the announcing of the other twenty-four tributes. After that you will go off to bed."

Wow, that's a lot of things to do before we go off to sleep. What time is it? I look over to the clock. 1:12 p.m! That's it? So much as happened today that it feels like seven a clock.

"Any questions?" I look back at Katniss.

"Didn't you help design the arena? How is that fair to us to get you as a mentor?" Wait. Was that me who just asked that? It had to be, Katniss is looking at me and I'm the only other girl in the room.

"No. I did not help design the arena. That was solely Gale and the other Gamemakers." She tells me. I nod my head. "Anything else? No? Good. Now tell me what makes you different." She looks at Kyro.

"I like to fight." Of course he does. Hey, I got an idea. They should dress him up like an inmate.

Katniss nods her head and turns to me. Why is that answer good enough for her? "And Chelen? What makes you stand out?" My lack of fashion sense. That certainly gets people to notice me.

"I'm an advertiser." I say.

"An advertiser?" Katniss says, astonishment in her voice, at least I think its astonishment.

"Well, yes but I don't think the stylists can do anything with that."

A smile forms at the edge of her lips again. "Oh, you'd be surprised at what stylists can do." She pauses for moment and smiles at the floor. She must be thinking of her own stylist; the one of made her the Girl Who Was On Fire.

All of District 12's chariot costumes were very boring, and was basically the same thing every year, till her and Peeta came out during the seventy-fourth Hunger Games Tributes' Parade. They were the most beautiful things I have ever saw! The way the fire surrounded them and made them look like gods was just genius. Them being last only put the odds more in their favor. The Cameras were focused more on Katniss than Peeta. You could say she stole the Tributes' Parade, Peeta stole the Interviews, and they both stole the Games. To the Capitol the Hunger Games are just a big show and they stole the entire thing.

"Let's get you to the Remake Center shall we?" Katniss say before getting up. What's she smiling about now?

* * *

That had to be one of the most awkward moments of my life. Clinging to the sides of the table I was lying on was all I could do to keep myself from attacting my prep crew. I mean, I know they're here to help but come on, can you blame me? You try lying on a cold metal table wearing nothing than a thin paper dress while these people rip every single hair from your body and touch you in placed that ought not to be touched. Believe me, it is not nearly as bad as it sounds. It's much worst.

My prep crew didn't say anything to me and I didn't say anything to them. There wasn't much to be said. They didn't congratulate me on being a tribute. They didn't say they were sorry I would most likely lose my life. In turn, I didn't say that their make-up made them look like muttations. When they were done with me one of them led me a nice room where I assume I'll be meeting my stylist.

So here I am waiting in that nice room, wearing nothing than but a paper rob and dress, for whomever it is I'm supposed to meet. Rather they be the stylist or not I really don't care as long as they bring me a change of clothes. The doors opens and a man walks and, yay, he's carrying a change of clothes with him.

"I'll step outside while you change." He says. Humph. He seems nicer than I expected. The clothes he has given me were just a plain white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Thank god, or whoever, that he didn't give me anything crazy.

"Come in!" I yell once I'm dressed. He is smiling slightly and the way he walks…

"Hello Chelen. I'm Carlil and I'll be you stylist."

"It's nice to meet you Carlil," I say smiling. He's dressed kind of like the way I usually do, simple. Nothing he's wearing is over the top. Plain jeans, plain blue shirt and no make up.

"I'm from District 8 but don't worry, I'll make sure your costume will spectacular." He softly smiles. That explains why he's not over the top.

"Spectacular makes me nausea. I'm not like other Capitol people, I'm simple."

A sparkle comes to his eyes and he slowly smiles.

Let's see. Charming Katniss: failure. Charming my prep team: failure. Charming my stylist: success. Wow, I really need to work on my charm.

"Well then perhaps we can use that to our advantage." He says.

I raise an eye brow. "And how does that work out?"

"Think about it," he says using motions with his hands. "Everyone here in the Capitol is used to seeing outrageous thing right?" I nod my head. "And do people notice you because they don't see you wearing crazy thing?" I nod my head again. "Then if we do you up all simple but charming than they will have to notice you,because you won't be like the others."

That's crazy, that's just down right crazy… Maybe just crazy enough work… no, probably not. Oh well, I can wait until my interview with Caesar to really wow the nation… wait, wait, wait. Wow the nation? Work on my charm? That's not me. I don't care what people think. I just go by day to day; paying the bills, feeding my family, hanging out with Theresa from time to time. That is my life. Those are the things I need to worry about. I need to focus on my stagey for the Games not the parade, not the interview.

Someone knocked on the door a woman entered without waiting for a reply. "Chelen Heavensway?" She announces.

"Yes, that's me." I say.

"Oh yes, Katniss said you weren't very friendly," she's smiling as she says this. Strange, I don't think my reply was unfriendly.

"Tari that's rude. I think Chelen is very friendly." The woman, Tari apparently, walks right by Carlil, smiling the whole time. Am I the only one who thinks that's a little creepy? "I'm Tari Trinket. Effie Trinket's cousin." Effie? What? Who? Oh never mind, maybe if I just sit and nod she'll eventually go away. "I'm your escort from on till the Games start." There goes the idea that she'll go away. If she's my escort, why is she now just introducing herself? Where was she when Kyro and I were in the appartment

"Ok," I beam. "So we going to head back to the apartment now?"

"Why yes we are. It's almost time for Plutarch's interview."

I hope Caesar has pulled himself back together.

* * *

**Caesar: Yay! An interview! Finaly something I'm good at.**

**Gale: What are you saying? That you're not good at anything else?**

**Caesar: What, no that's not what I said. Stop twisting my words around! Didn't I get rid of you after the interview?**

**Gale: I came back to haunt you.**

**Chelen: Hawthorn, leave Caesar alone.**

**Gale: No. He's too much fun to mess with. I'll make my career out of it.**

**Caesar: That's a little creepy.**

**Celi: Mr. Gale, can you please leave Caesar alone.**

**Gale: Ok**

**Chelen: What? How come I have to try to charm people and she just does it?**

**Katniss: She's awesome like that. Just like Prim. All in favor that Prim and Celibeing awesome say "Aye"**

**Capitolrebel13, Caesar, Gale, Peeta, Johanna, Plutarch, Haymitch, Carlil, Tari, Paylor,Beetee, Annie, Effie, Venia, Greasy Sae, Delly, Fulvia: Aye!**

**Katniss: The "Ayes" have spoken. Prim and Celi you are awesome**

**Capitolrebel13:Don't worry, I almost have the internet or at least away from them. You won't have to read anymore commentary.**

**Gale: You know, just for that I'm getting to start putting in commentary in the middle of the chapters and ruin the suspense.**

**Capitolrebel13: You can't, I wont' let you.**

**Haymitch: Ignore them and just _review._**


	10. Chapter 10

**Katniss: First off, Caesar and I are not as close as this chapter makes us appear!**

**Capitolrebel13: I'm the only one who can post anything pre-chapter. Get off!**

**Katniss: I just had to let everyone know that you stretch the truth in this chapter.  
**

**Capitolrebel13: Of course I stretch the truth! I'm a writer. I've got to make the story exciting for the readers. Sorry for such a long update. **

* * *

"Five minutes Caesar!" Effie yelled. Caesar pulled on his legendary blue suit and looked in the mirror. His hair was neat, his teeth were pure white, and his suit was free of crinkles. He looked perfect. Expect of his eyes.

"Are you ready yet," Effie said, walking in. "Good heavens Caesar! What's wrong with your eyes? You look like you haven't slept in weeks." That was kind of true; he had not slept in at least a week. Not even sleep syrup helped any. Caesar leaned closer to the mirror, grabbed the cover-up, and hid the bags that had formed under his eyes. Plastering a smile on his face, Caesar turned around to face Effie. "That's better, now you look like a billion gold coins. Now come on, Plutarch is waiting." She bounced out of the dressing room with Caesar following close on her heels.

Plutarch was talking to Katniss, though she didn't appear to be listening, when Caesar walked on stage.

"Caesar Flickerman!" Plutarch jumped up. "How long has it been? Far too long I'll tell you that." He gave Caesar a hug.

"You two know each other?" Katniss asked.

"Of course we know each other. I had been the Head Gamemaker's assistant for a long time and Caesar and I got to know each other that way. I was always coming on the show. Not to mention I had a thing for Terra. She was married though and her daughter Chelen was always chas-" Plutarch froze and turned to Caesar. "Oh my god! Chelen! She's going into the arena!"

"Yeah. Thanks for reminding me." Caesar said, crossing his arms.

"I'm so sorry Caesar. I didn't me-"

"Fifty seconds to we'll live!" Someone yelled from back stage.

"Terra? Chelen?" Katniss said looking between the two.

"Ask Peeta. He'll tell you," Caesar told her while he sat down. She was about to press farther when the same person announced that there was twenty seconds till show time. Katniss ran off the stage and stood off to the side. The five second countdown began and Plutarch gave Caesar reassuring smile. Caesar smiled back.

"Ladies and gentleman! Your master of ceremonies! Caesar Flickerman!" Caesar stood up and thanked the crowd.

"Plutarch Heavensbee. It's good to see you again."

"It's wonderful to see you again too and it's wonderful to be here with your wonderful audience."

"It is a wonderful day to have a wonderful guest to show off to a wonderful audience by a wonderful host." Caesar's comment received a good laugh from the audience.

"Now Plutarch, you will be the editing the Games and will be in charge of what we see at home. Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong. I don't want to edit everything but you know with there being so many tributes for these games I will be very busy. The thing is, I don't want to be like other editors and edit out anything that would set a bad example like when the little girl Rue for the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games died. Katniss covered her in flowers but the audience didn't see that. They saw her giving the three figure salute to District 11 but that was only because we didn't expect it to have such an effect on District 11."

"Were the Games not as live as we thought they were?" Caesar already knew the answer. He as saw every minute, well almost every minute, of the Games and commented on everything he saw while the audience did not see even half of what happened when editing stepped into the picture.

"No, no they weren't." A gasp came from the audience. "There was a ten to fifteen minute window were things can be edited out or changed to make things appear to be different than they really are."

"And you do not want to do that?" Caesar leaned forward. _Will this even work? _When the audience was Capitol people they would lean forward in anticipation with Caesar. Tonight, however, the audience was mostly District people like it had been the night before. He could not help quickly glancing over at the audience. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips when he found that all of them were practically on the edge of their seats.

"No, I don't. I want everything to stay the same. I don't want to, nor do I plan on, changing everything around so it appears to be something else."

"We will be seeing _everything_ that goes on inside the arena?"

"Oh yes, _everything. _And with you being the announcer for the Games that means that you get to be there for the whole thing. And I mean the _whole _thing."

"I can't go home and rest?" Caesar asked a blank look on his face.

"Nope. You have to be on television 24/7 from the moment the Games start to the moment they end."

"What if I fall asleep?"

"They wake you with electrical collar." Plutarch waved his hand as if it was no big deal.

Caesar turned toward the audience and shrugged. "Oh isn't that nice?" The audience laughed. "They're not really gonna do that to me right?" Plutarch shrugged and Caesar's eyes flashed backstage to Katniss, who shook her head. She then held up the same sign her and Effie had help up last night though he doubted she had less enthusiasm about it tonight.

"Well folks, time for a commercial break." Caesar smiled into the camera and in a mocking voice of old talk shows he said, "We'll be back after these short messages."

"Was it difficult to be on camera almost constantly during the Games?" Plutarch asked when the sign above the main camera that read "live" flicked off.

"Was it difficult knowing you left behind a friend in the Capitol during the war even though this said friend hated the Games as much as you did?" Caesar glared at him. Plutarch sat there staring at Caesar, his mouth slightly hanging open. After a moment Caesar began laughing. "I'm just messing with you. But seriously, you knew I didn't have any love for the Games. Why'd you leave me out of the loop?"

"It's not that I wanted to leave you behind, it's that you were needed here in the Capitol."

Caesar's eye grew wide. "Oh really? And tell me Plutarch, what was it I was supposed to do and what was it I actually accomplished?"

Plutarch smiled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, well… nothing."

"I was supposed to do nothing or I accomplished nothing?"

"Both." Caesar rolled his eyes. "Look Caesar. When we left the Capitol after the Quarter Quell, you were put under high security by Snow. Do you honestly believe we could have gotten you out? And yes I would have loved having you in 13 with us knowing how much you hated the Games. You would have been the star of our propos, getting interviews for people in 13 and all around Panem. You would have been in the field more than Katniss but we could not risk getting you out of the Capitol."

"Thirty seconds till we're live!" Someone shouted.

"Caesar, please. Try to understand."

The buzzing sound that signaled that they were live went off and Caesar turned to cameras. "Welcome back ladies and gentleman. For those of you who are just joining us, let me remind you that we have Plutarch Heavensbee with us tonight." The audience clapped.

"And Caesar and I were just talking about his trip to the Districts." Plutarch chimed in. _What trip to the Districts? _Caesar thought. "You all remember from last night. Caesar said he would be going on a trip around the Districts, spending a month in each one, and filming what life is like all around Panem" _Oh, that trip._ "Caesar, why don't you tell them what you told me."

_I don't remember telling you anything. _Caesar looked from Plutarch to the audience. _Why is everyone trying to embarrass me on my own stage? _"Oh, well. Not everything is completely worked yet. All I can really say is that… Katniss-" Caesar's eyes jumped to Katniss for a moment. She held an expressionless look on her face. "And Peeta will be coming with me. Plutarch will also be the editor of the show. I'll be starting in the outer districts and work my way back up to the Capitol where I'll shoot the last few episodes. Also a new episode will be aired every two weeks or so."

"I think Katniss will enjoy embarrassing you when you try to do some of the jobs in the Districts." _I think everyone's enjoying embarrassing me._ "And don't worry Caesar; I'll make sure to put every one of your embarrassing moments on air for all of Panem to see."

"Thank you Plutarch," Caesar put his hand on Plutarch's shoulder and gave him a playful shake. "You're so kind." The audience reputed into laughter as a person on Caesar's earpiece told to wrap it up. "Well ladies and gentleman. That about brings things to a close here."

"Awww, really? And I was having such a wonderful time."

"My next interview will be in a couple of days with Joanna Mason. Our wonderful guest the wonderful Plutarch Heavensbee everyone!" As the audience cheered, Plutarch stood and gave a bow.

Just as the cameras went off Katniss and Effie walked on stage.

"Congratulations Caesar," Effie said. "That was much better than yesterday. At least you didn't freeze up." Caesar looks over to Katniss though she refused to make eye contact with him. Effie went on chatting about the interview all the way to Caesar's dressing room.

"Effie, would you give Caesar and I a moment alone," Katniss's voice was low. She glanced over at Caesar who had sat down at his dressing table with his face buried into his hands. Effie nodded and walked out. Katniss closed the door with a bang causing Caesar to jump. "So I called Peeta and asked him about Terra and Chelen and he said to ask you."

"Why do you want to know about Terra and Chelen?" Caesar asked spinning around to face her.

"I'm mentoring the girl. I want to know if there is any connection between you two."

"Why?"

"I just need to know."

Caesar turned back around and stared into the mirror. "Chelen Heavensway is the eldest daughter of my late best friend Terra Heavensway. Do you really need to know anymore?" Katniss shook her head. "Now, would you mind telling me something?"

Katniss raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Why have you been spending so much time with me the last few days?" Caesar started messing with his hair in an attempt to make himself not look nervous about what the answer might be.

Katniss took a step back and stared at him. It's not that she was not expecting him to ask, she just did not expect him to come straight out and say it, though that did not mean she was going to come straight out and answer it.

"Wha- what are you talking about?"

"Let's see. When you first arrived in the Capitol you came to see me, at my loft, to see how I was doing. The next day you followed me around the Capitol, with your hair in a ponytail and you had you had now a Capitol hat which was a strange sight, for a couple of hours. A couple of days later you called me up to ask if I knew any good places that you could take Peeta out to eat and ended up talking to me for an hour and a half. Yesterday and today you were here before and after the interviews, though you weren't really that friendly after Gales."

"Hey, I came here to warn about what Gale would be like and to be some sort of support system for you if he messed with your confidence." Katniss said in a rush.

"Fair enough but what about all the other times?"

There was a long pause. Katniss shifted back and forth on her feet while staring at the floor.

Finally she said, "It's Peeta. He's been… well for lack of better words, he's been moody. We've spent a lot of time together these past few months and I thought he might need some space. I don't know the Capitol that well and you were really the only person in the city I could latch onto. My relationship with you before the war wasn't as good as Peeta's but it wasn't bad. Everyone I'm friends who are in the Capitol right now are all busy and I just can't walk up to people and start talking to them. I'm not the kind of person. And even if I was, Capitol people still creep me out and District people, whenever they see me, are always like "oh my god! You're Katniss Everdeen, the Mockingjay Who Was On Fire!" Then they start firing question after question at me about what it was like to be the symbol of the Rebellion and if the Games still haunt me or if Peeta and I are still together. I don't really mind all that much answering their questions, it just gets tiring." Katniss was no longer staring at the floor but she refused to look at Caesar. "And, I umm… I uh… I kinda feel bad now."

"Feel bad? About what?" Caesar had stopped messing with his hair and was looking at her reflection.

"You were right. I should never have forced you into this position. I like you Caesar, I don't wish you harm. I just didn't realize until you froze up on stage at the reeping that it was really causing you emotional harm. I feel bad, I should have found someone else and just had you do the interviews. I want to make it up to you in some way."

"So, your way of making it up to me is stalking me?" Caesar asked, a smile hinting at the edge of his lips.

Katniss chuckled. "I don't know what I'm doing. I suck at making things up to people. I'm not a sociable person. I don't know how to do this." Katniss's face became black as she leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. "I can't be a mentor. My tributes aren't going to get out alive. Why did I even call Peeta to let him know I wanted to mentor Chelen? What was I thinking?"

Caesar turned to face Katniss. Her palms were pressed against her temples and she was shaking her head back and forth. "I am Katniss Everdeen. I was in the Seventy-fourth and Seventy-fifth Hunger Games. I was the symbol of the rebellion. I am nineteen years old. I survived the war, Prim did not. There are no more Hunger Games." Her voice became quieter to the point where Caesar could not make out what she said. When Katniss stopped mutter it took a moment for her to look up at Caesar.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked

Katniss nodded and stood up. "Sorry about that. I don't allow myself to breakdown around Peeta out of fear that he'll lose himself to the hijacking or flashbacks. It doesn't happen often but I don't want to do anything that might trigger an episode. When everything comes rushing back to me all at once I use that technique to keep everything straight. You know, start with the simplest of acts that you to be true and are the most important. Again, sorry about the breakdown"

"It's ok. I think after the Capitol Games, I'll be having them myself."

* * *

**Caesar: I agree with Katniss, her and I are not this close. In fact, I don't see her again till after the Games.**

**Katniss: I hung out with a lot of my other friends too you know. This sad excuse of a writer didn't write about it.**

**Capitolrebel13: You hanging with your other friends didn't move the story forward in any way. **

**Katniss: So?**

**Capitolrebel13: *sigh* Like Caesar said, him and Katniss won't see each other again expect once until the end of the story.**

**Caesar: Review! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Capitolrebel13: **Ok, first off: I'm seriously considering deleting this story and rewriting it. I'm not gonna make major changes, it's more like I'm changing the way I present it. Second, I promise things to pick up pretty fast once the Tribute's parade happens.

* * *

Thank the Heavens! Caesar looked _so_ much better than earlier today. His hair was in place, his outfit was neat, his eyes were bright, and his voice was up-beet. This was the Caesar I knew.

"Where's Katniss?" Kyro asks. She wasn't here when we got back. I wonder where she went.

"She said she was going to back by the time the interview was over." Tenra, Kyro's stylist, says. Right now the only ones in the apartment are Kyro, Tari, Tenra, Carlil, and me. After Plutarch Heavensbee's interview they were going to announce the other twenty four tributes. I hope they don't make Caesar announce them; he's gone through so much already. Just then the front doors open and Katniss walks in.

"Speaking of Katniss." Tari says. "Where have you been?"

Katniss plops down in a chair. "The interview. Effie says hi."

"Wait. What?" I say. "What were you doing at the interview?"

"I needed to talk to Caesar. Damn it! I forgot to get nce after him for inviting Peeta on our trip through out Panem after the Games."

"Are you having an affair with Caesar?" Kyro asks. Katniss and I stare at him. Shook was all over her face and I can feel mine begin to redden.

"Nooooo. Though my friendship with him is taking… off?" A strange look comes across her face. I bet she never expected to be saying something like that.

"Then why don't you want Peeta to go with you if you're going to be gone for over a year?"

"It's not that. I just wished he would have asked Peeta before he told Panem that he was coming with us. Caesar seems to have the tendency to assume that people are just going to go along with whatever he says."

"That's Caesar for you." I say without even thinking.

"What?" Kyro says. "How would you know?"

"Oh uh… My mother used to be his best friend. I remember being at his studio and Mom telling me that all Caesar had to do was flash a smile or even bat his eyes from time to time and people would fall all over him."

"Really?" Carlil says. I should never have said anything. They're my memories; these people have no right knowing them. I don't have those two people in my life anymore; I can't, I won't let them go. I won't share them.

"Chelen?" Katniss's voice breaks me out of my daze. She and I lock eyes, hers telling me something… She already knew that my mother was best friends with Caesar.

"I'd rather not talk about. Before today at the reaping, Caesar and I hadn't seen each other for years." Panem's nation anthem begins to play on the TV. The screen's blank and a man's voice says, "Here are the twenty-four tributes voted into the Arena." A list appears, the Northern and Southern sections are on the left and the Western and Eastern sections are on the left. I scan the Northern Section and find Theresa's name has come up in second place. She'll be in the floor below me but I think I already explained how that works.

The third place girl I don't know but her name is Felli Teebrout. The third place boy I do know. He's in a couple of my classes at school and we used to hang out before my mother died. His name is Yansen Hilel. I don't look at the rest of the names. I don't know anyone from other the Sections and, like I said, I have no interest in the other tributes who going into the arena with me.

I get up and walk out of the room. It's late and tomorrow's going to be busy. I might as well get some sleep.

My dreams are nothing special, just flashes of random stuff. I've heard things around school about the tributes and how most of them have dreams about past arenas. You'd think that since I'm about to go off and die in one of these said arenas I'd be dreaming about it. Yeah, like that will ever happen. The dreams never really have anything to do with what is going on in my life.

I wake up the next morning by someone pounding on my door. "Time to wake up Chelen! It's going to be a big day. You also have to meet the other two tributes who are sharing the floor." Tari says then I hear her heels clicking on the ground as she walks away. What time is it? What am I doing here? What was she talking about?

I hit the light switch and cover my eyes. Slowly they adjust to sudden brightness and allow me to see my surroundings. Oh yeah, now I remember. Yesterday was the reeping and I volunteered for Celi. Why was her name even drawn anyways, it was only in there once. I guess it doesn't really matter. It's in the past and I can't change it. I'm going into the arena and I'm most likely going to die.

I force myself from bed and get dressed in a black blouse and blue jeans.

"KATNISS! IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK! GET OUT OF BED!" Tari yells but I doubt Katniss is even in her room. Why would she stay here when she had someone who was as good-looking as Peeta waiting for her at some hotel or something?

I walk out of my room and quickly glance at Tari before walking on. Only one other person is up and it's the girl who was voted on. We lock eyes for a moment when I enter the room but we don't say anything. It's dark so I can't really tell what she looks like only that she is taller than me. Before I can move someone bumps into me.

"Hey watch it will you?" Yansen Hilel says and shoves me aside. My mother's death and me taking the lead role in my family is what caused us to stop hanging out but whenever I see him in school I'm glad we did. He's become such a big jerk. Yansen isn't any bigger than me and I doubt he's any stronger. If I know him, he will most likely use his attitude to last in the Games.

"Hey," Kyro smiles at me as he comes into the living room.

"Watch it Kyro or she'll smash your jaw in again," the girl, Felli I think that's her name, says. She's taken out this small handheld mirror and was inspecting her reflection.

"She can't do that again. I'm bigger than her now. And she didn't just hit me, I let her hit me." Kyro sounds like he's bragging. He didn't let me hit him of course. If he did he wouldn't have coward every time he saw me. As for him being bigger… well, bigger isn't always better. The front doors opens and Katniss strides in.

"Look at that, a full house today. Let's see what's on the schedule." There's a slight bounce in her step as she goes to find Tari.

"We're about to go off and die. Why is she so happy?" Felli asks with a hint of irritation leaking out of her voice.

"Weren't we that happy when the Hunger Games came around? Weren't there twenty three tributes going off to die every year?" I ask her.

"That was different." There's indifference in her tone. "The Districts actually committed a crime that needed a lasting punishment. We as the Capitol have done nothing wrong."

Kyro sits down next to her on the couch. "Some people would argue that." He looks at me as if I'm the only person who would argue that the Capitol has been committing a crime every year at the Hunger Games. Kyro tries to wrap his arm around her shoulder. Without breaking our eye contact with her reflection, she reaches up and removes Kyro's hand.

"All I know is that I'm coming out of the arena alive," she looks Kyro up and down. "Alone."

"What are you going to do?" I ask. "Send out text messages to all the sponsors telling them fake rumors about all the tributes so that they'll sponsor you and no one else. Oh, and then I bet you'll ask sponsors for new high-heals and you'll hit us all to death with the heal of the shoe. Then during your victory interview you'll be wearing said shoes that you killed us with. Now that would be very interesting to see." I sit down in the chair across from her. At first all Felli does is glare at me than she slowly stands up and walks over. With half my relatives being in show business, I've learned how to see through people's masks, especially the ones that are poorly put to together. Felli's mask is poorly made, anyone could see her body shaking, her fists clutched up in balls, and the rage in her eyes. At first she just stands there staring at me. I don't thinks she's really to do anything to me.

WHAM!

Or maybe she will.

"Hey!" Katniss calls coming in with Tari. "If you guys want nothing to do with each other than just ignore one another but don't you start fights." I rub my nose where Felli's fist made contact with it. Tari comes over to me.

"It's fine. I've been knocked in the nose quite a few times. It's nothing. It's not bleeding, it's not broken, I can still breath out of it. Really Tari, it's ok." I try to convince her. It's not broken but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when she touches it.

"No, Tari's right to be concerned. It doesn't look that good." Katniss says taking a step forward. "Come on. I'll take you down to the infirmary." She does this mentioning movement with her hand. What is she up to? Her eyes don't say that she really believes I'm that hurt. I stand up and meet eyes with Felli for a moment. Just as before, her mask is poorly put together and her eyes tell me that under no circumstances will she ever be my alley in the arena. I glance down at Kyro…

I had it wrong. Kyro's eyes are saying that we will never be allies. Felli's eyes are saying that she's now my worst enemy. As I walk out with Katniss I also catch Yansen's gaze. He gives me a smirk and shakes his head. Outside the apartment Katniss doesn't say anything until we reach the elevator.

"The other three don't mean anything to me," she says.

"What?" I look at her and don't believe what she has said. There's this pained look on her face as she stares at the ground.

"Ok, fine. They do mean something and they're deaths will probably haunt me for the rest of my life, just as some many others do." She closes her eyes and then shiver. When she opens them again she shakes her head. "I didn't sign up to mentor them though. I didn't sign up to mentor anybody until you volunteered for your sister. I didn't know what to make of you, and I still really don't, but when I saw that look on your face when you ran to stop your sister-"

"Celi." I say and she nods.

"Celi. When you stopped Celi from going up on stage I knew that there was something different about you. And then there was your dress. It was simple, very simple. Nothing like average Capitol wear. I thought- I think that if there really was anyone who could put a stop to the Games for good it could be you." The elevator dings and the doors open but Katniss and I don't walk out.

"I don't understand. I thought these were the last Games. Isn't forty-seven of us dying and the last one standing being named Victor enough?" My mind flashes back to what Gale Hawthorn had said and the look on most of the Capitol residents' faces at the reaping. Could they really continue the Games if they wanted to? "What can I possibly do? How could I put an end to them?" The doors of the elevator close again leaving Katniss and I disconnected to the outside world.

She looks at me, all emotion gone from her face. "Stay alive." Again with the useless advice. Her emotionless face changed to being very serious. "Win the Games and don't lose yourself along the way. Right now you're the talk of the country because you volunteered to save your sister. People in the Districts think that all Capitol people are heartless being who care more about wasting rather than saving. This year's going to be different. Every district will get three sponsors with a certain amount of money. Then the Districts will use those sponsors to obviously sponsor whatever tribute they want. Right now, you're the Districts' favorite. If they wanted to, they could all sponsor you."

"What about the Capitol?" I ask.

Katniss shakes her head and crosses her arms. "Some of them are moved but mostly Capitol people say you were just copying me. From what I hear from Joanna, Gale isn't too happy about it either."

"Hawthorn? The Head Gamemaker?"

Katniss nods once. "I was a volunteer from a place where no one volunteers. You're a volunteer from a place where no one was expected to volunteer. I broke my home's protocol. You broke your home's protocol. I threw the Gamemakers' rules aside I played the Games my way. Gale wants to have complete control over what goes on in the arena. On the outside, you appear to be very similar to me. Gale does not want someone who isn't about to do what she's told in the arena." She pauses and looks at me to see if I'm gong to respond to this in some way.

Right now, I'm numb. What she has said hasn't yet completely been absorbed emotionally. Logically it has. I heard every word she said and my brain understands it. Given the fact that what she has told me is very important when it comes to life and death, and since my emotions don't know how to really react at the moment, I will take the opportunity to look at this logically.

"So, this is what I understand so far. The Head Gamemaker Gale Hawthorn does not like me because I volunteered to take my twelve year old sister's place in the Games." Katniss nods. I take a step back and lean against the wall. "And he's worried that I won't play by his rules even though he has never met me and the only thing he has to go by is how you acted in your Hunger Games. And if I turn out to be like you then he will most likely get rid of me because he does not want to be up staged or embarrassed by a Capitol child. If I'm correct, to be humiliated by the Capitol now would be a fate worse than death to him. After all, the Districts won the war and the Capitol Games is the Capitol's punishment. It would only be true justice if all the tributes were completely terrified, and one hundred percent at the mercy, of the Gamemakers.

"And yet at the same time," I push off the wall and start pacing. "Gale Hawthorn might actually be happy that I'm going in but he's unhappy because he can't think of the way to kill me that would have the most effect on the other tributes. 'Cause think about it. If I'm the tribute that really sticks out and doesn't want to obey the rules than Gale Hawthorn can kill me in some way early on, in front of many tributes at that, and use my death as an example to the other tributes as a reminder of who's in charge and a warning sign about what happens when you disobey the Gamemakers. The only problem with that is how they're going to get all the tributes to see… I'm sure they'll think of something. They can invite everyone to a feast or just play it in the sky I suppose." I stop for a moment and notice Katniss staring at me. "Sorry. My emotions are switched off right now I guess and without emotions getting in the way I tend think highly logically. When I do that, I can see clearly small details that people often overlook thus enabling me to arrive at my destination with a much surer mind than that the others who have walked down the same road as me."

Katniss turns her head slightly and looks away. If I'm right, she's trying to decipher what I said. "How often do you turn off your emotions?"

I shake my head. "I do not turn them off; they turn off on their own. It rarely ever happens though. I think it's a defense mechanism because it started after my mother died and it only happens when I receive such news that would normally arouse strong emotions in people and cause them to act irrationally."

"That's a nice mechanism to have." I shrug, I don't mind it really but it gets strange reactions from people. "We've been down here awhile. You need to get to the Training Center."

"Training Center?"

"Yes, you will be in the Training Center while the chariots and the stylists are getting ready for the Tribute Parade." She hits the down button and the elevator begins to take us down to the lower levels.


	12. Chapter 12

**Capitolrebel13: I do apologize for such a long update. I was stuck at a place for three weeks without the internet and writers block didn't help any. I'm back now though and hopefully my next update won't be almost a month from now. **

* * *

Katniss walked down the hallway that led to her hotel room she shared with Peeta. Upon reaches the door she found two peacekeepers were standing in front of it. They stepped aside and allowed her pass. Katniss studied them a moment before going in. Inside the suite Peeta sat at the table, drawing pads scattered all over it, talking to Paylor. In Paylor's lap was an old book that looked to it was about to fall apart.

"Paylor, I mean President Paylor, it's wonderful to see you again." Katniss said with a smile. Paylor stood up and the two hugged one another.

"And it's good to see you too Katniss. I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop in for a visit. I do have to be gone though in twenty minutes." They sat down at the table and Katniss gave Peeta a kiss on the cheek. He flinched slightly and went back to drawing. Katniss frowned at Peeta but turned her attention back to Paylor.

"So what have you, the oh so busy President, been up to?" Katniss asked.

Paylor sighed. "Different things. I hate pollutions. Actually, I hate politics in general."

"Why did you run for president then?" Peeta asked, not looking from his picture.

"Oh. Because I thought it'd be a great idea at the time and people around me supported that. It was a rather rushed election. Just a month to campaign. You can't _really _tell what kind of a person the candidates are in that short time period. Ah, well. Panem needed a leader. The next election's going to be different."

"When is the next election?" Katniss asked. Since she has been locked up she had missed out on Paylor's election and in some ways felt that she got cheated.

"We don't know for sure but I won't be a candidate that's for sure. Actually that's one of the main issues going on at the mansion right now. How long a person should be president and how many terms they serve." Paylor place the old book and opened it up.

"Why does it matter how many terms a president serves?" Peeta asked. "If they're doing well don't you want them in office for a long time?"

"Peeta, with politics, that is rarely the case. Most politicians are corrupted in some way, usually by money, and really don't care for the people. While some pollutions might think they're doing the right thing and people may support them but that does not mean that they are doing the right thing. Besides, we really don't need another Snow coming into office or a Hitler or a Castro." Paylor explained. Katniss and Peeta gave her confused looks.

"Who?" Katniss asked.

"They were bad people from the old world. You should go to a museum when you get the chance. Or just ask Caesar. He seems obsessed with history and I hear you've been spending quite a bit of time with him lately." Paylor gave Katniss a wink and brought her glass to her lips

Katniss glanced at Peeta, who was still drawing. He had known that she had been spending time with Caesar since they got to the Capitol but he did not seem to mind at all. Back in District 12 Peeta always joke about the different girls that he was having an affair because he knows Katniss is the jealous type. Now was the right time for Katniss to mess with him.

"Him and I are having an affair."

Paylor choked on what she was drinking and Peeta pressed his pencil so hard against the pad the led broke.

"What?" His voice was not loud but it had a threatening sense to it. Katniss looked down and saw that Peeta was clutching his pencil tightly, causing his hand to shake.

"Yeah. Didn't you know? I thought I told you. No, I did tell you. Yesterday, right as I left for Plutarch's interview I yelled, "I'm off to my affair with Caesar. See you later." Don't you remember that?"

"No, I do not remember that." He was glaring at her now and his face was reddening.

"Oh, he's really good if you know what I mean." She winked at Paylor, who sat there with her mouth hanging open.

Suddenly Peeta jumped up and ran out the front door, leaving Katniss and Paylor staring in his wake.

"I think you went a little too far." Paylor said after a moment. "You and Caesar aren't really… are you?"

Katniss shook her head. "No! No. We aren't and we never will be. He's too old for me and it would be just downright weird."

"Disgusting is more like. Does Peeta know where Caesar lives?" Paylor asked.

"Yes he does."

"Should I call Caesar he's going to be having a visitor?"

"You probably should." Katniss jumped up and chased after Peeta, closing the door behind her.

"Nah, I'll just wait and see how this unfolds." Paylor said to herself. A few moments later the door reopened and a laughing Peeta walked in.

"Wow, did beating the crap out of Caesar really cause you that much enjoyment?" Paylor asked.

Still laughing Peeta waved his hand in the air. "Nah. I didn't go over to Caesar's. When the door shut behind me I ducted off to the other side of the hallway so that way when Katniss ran out she wouldn't have seen me. I knew she was joking about the affair of course. I mean I don't like the guy myself but who am I to question who Katniss hangs out with. Besides, after all they've done to us, she would never go with a Capitol person."

Suddenly Paylor started laughing hysterically. "So, she just ran off to Caesar's apartment all the way on the Northern part of the Capitol. Oh, I should call Caesar and tell him to get the look on her face on camera when he tells her you're not there."

Peeta began laughing with Paylor. "I didn't really think about that when I ran out the door. You should call Caesar."

When she finally got her laughing under control Paylor picked up her phone. "What's his number?"

"565-448-9174." Peeta answered immediately.

"I thought you didn't like the guy. Why do you know his number?" Paylor gave Peeta a sly grin as the phone rang.

"Oh, un. Well I…" Peeta stammered trying to come up with a logical reason as to why he knew it. "I don't know. I don't even know where I learned it from."

"Hey Caesar. It's Paylor." Paylor said a clear voice indicating that Caesar had answered the phone. "Katniss is coming over and I want you to have a video camera ready when you answer the door… She thinks Peeta is going to try to kill you or something… Well, she was joking around and said that you and her were having an affair. Then Peeta acted to be all up-set and ran out and she chased after him. Really he just hid till she was gone and then came back… No, Peeta's not going to try to kill you… Yes that's exactly what I want you to do and on the day you interview me and I want you to show me her reaction. Understand?… Good. Bye." Paylor hung up the phone and smiled at Peeta.

"I take it he's going to do it."

"Yeah, he is." Paylor looked down at her watch. "Crap, I off schedule. I was supposed to leave ten minutes ago. Well Peeta, give Katniss my best and don't forget to tell me how she is when she gets back the next time we see each other." Paylor stood up.

"Don't worry, I won't. Have a good day Paylor." With that Paylor rushed out the door.

To pass the time as he waited for Katniss, Peeta went back to his drawing. About a half hour later a very irritated Katniss walked through the door.

"So how was your trip?" Peeta asked all innocent like.

"You're evil." She smiled at him and sat down.

"You're the one who said you were having an affair. With someone who is probably 5 times your age no less."

"I was messing around," Katniss said.

"Well so was I."

"Touché." They both laughed. "The strangest thing was, when Caesar answered the door he was holding up a video camera. Now, I wonder who could've called and warned him I was coming." Katniss smiled at Peeta and leaned forward.

"It was Paylor. Paylor called him." Peeta quickly said, his voice sounding emotionless. Katniss's smile fell and she sat back. Peeta could tell that Caesar was quickly becoming a good friend to her but he just did not want anything to do with him. "Besides, you can't be in love with Caesar. Chelen's in love with Caesar."

Katniss looked up realizing that she still had a job to do. "How do you know?" Peeta told her about his short encounter with Caesar the day before. "So that's the story. All Caesar told me was that her mother used to be his best friend before she died… She's a very interesting person. Chelen that is. Her personality is split and I don't mean like she's got two different names for two different personalities. She's… I don't know."

"She adopts to fit in whatever situation she's in." Peeta said. "I think she's a lot like you. She's been taking care of her family since her mother died, when she was ten. Her father fell into a deep depression. By Capitol standards, she's extremely poor. She has a twelve year old sister who she just proved she would do anything for. Her fashion sense is simple and not flamboyant like most of the Capitol. And I think she's not going to play by anyone's rules but her own. Looking at her do you think she's ever broken down once?"

Katniss shook her head. "I don't think she's allowed herself to breakdown. She is an actress, she can hide her emotions pretty well."

"But you had something she didn't have," Peeta said, causing Katniss to look at him like he was crazy. Regardless of how she poor she was by Capitol standards, Katniss could not imagine having something back then that a Capitol person did not have.

"A sanctuary. You could escape into the woods and lash out about the Capitol all you wanted. You could go into the woods and breakdown without the worry of people seeing or judging you. Chelen didn't have that. She didn't have any place to run to. And even if you didn't have the woods, so many people were in your situation that if the people of 12 saw you breakdown it wouldn't mean a thing to them. But here in the Capitol, everybody judges you on everything. You can't breakdown in public without people taking a picture or a video and posting it somewhere. You can't breakdown at a job without getting fired. You can't breakdown at home without your family getting on you about being weak.

"The people of the Capitol are far less sensitive and sincere toward a person if they aren't perfect in every way. In fact, I think Capitol people are more cruel to each other than they are-were to the Districts. We are District people, that was our excuse but if you're from the Capitol and you weren't what the stereotype of what Capitol person should be than they'll eat you alive. Chelen takes a huge risk by not dressing the way they do. And remember being poor in the Capitol is like a crime within itself. If it wasn't for her strong attitude than people most likely wouldn't hire her to do anything. If she ever showed any signs of mental weakness than her family would not have survived as they have.

"When you entered they Games, you had the odds stacked in your favor. You may not realize that but you did Katniss. You knew how to hunt, you knew how to be hungry, you knew which plants to eat. You knew how to survive. You had that time with Gale, who was also the head of his household because his father died in the same mine explosion that killed yours. You and him could easily relate to another. Chelen doesn't have that. She doesn't have anyone she can really talk to openly, she doesn't have a place where she can run off to and hide, she probably doesn't have anything that makes her happy other her sister. Yet all this time with everything stacked against her, Chelen has survived and she has not once broken down."

Peeta had moved next to Katniss and was leaning close to her. Both of his hands were clasped around her left. His eyes were filled with some king of emotion but Katniss could not place which one it was. If what Peeta said was true, about Chelen never breaking down in her life, than she has never truly grieved her mother's death.

"You know," Katniss started. "A girl in school lost her mother in that same mine explosion that killed my father. She is much older than us but at the time she was fifteen. I remember seeing her go around for months like nothing was wrong until one day she saw a woman hug a little girl tightly and she just lost it. She started crying and ran all the way home. She didn't come to school for a few days." The memory was very clear in her mind as she thought back. There was a long stretch of silence.

* * *

**Capitolrebel13: This was suppose to be a comedy like chapter but it didn't end that.**

**Katniss: You know that wasn't very nice of you Peeta.**

**Peeta: I need to get a good laugh here and there somewhere before the Games start. **

**Capitolrebel13: The next few chapter focus mainly on Chelen. Next up is the Tributes Parade. I'll update either on the 5th or 6th of July so you guys don't have to wait too long.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Capitolrebel13: I really like this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it.**

* * *

When Atala, the Games' instructor, was done coaching us about how we should evenly spread out our "activates" between weapons and survival 101(something about how an infection can kill just as easily as a knife can) I immediately sought out Theresa. I found her standing over the spears.

"So here we are." I say coming up from behind her. She turns and looks at me, her face showing nothing but sadness. God, how can you her parents do this to her!

"So here we are. Going into the Capitol Games to be slaughtered for entertainment." She says.

"No, I meant here we are at the spear station." She laughs despite of herself. "You want to start here?"

She shrugs. "Where do you want to start?"

"I'm more concerned about found food rather than killing someone. It doesn't really matter how well you can kill a person if you don't have anything to eat. And last I checked cannibalism is looked down upon. I wanted to start off with snares." Theresa stares at the spears for a few moments longer. I wonder… Is she really going to choose to mess around with them? Then she turns around walks off toward the snares without waiting for me.

I'll say this: snares are not Theresa's strong hold. While it only takes me fifteen minutes to get the hang of it, it takes Theresa an hour. Camouflage isn't any better for her and, just like the snares, for me it's a piece of cake. I'm skilled at hiding things in plain sight even from experts. My boss wants- well, he wanted me to pursue a career in advertisements but I think those dream can be kissed good-bye. It also works the other way too. I can spot a trap from a mile away. When we run the obstacle course I'm able to dodge and make my way around every trap.

Theresa is just about to go on the ropes course when Gale Hawthorn, who had been watching over head in the Gamemakers' box, announces that it time for us to get ready for the Tribute Parade. Peacekeepers come and usher us away. Time to go back to the Remake Center, what joy. I look over to see Theresa, who is being taken to a different elevator, staring at me. I give her a small wave and she waves back. After my prep team has their way with me again, I'm taken to the same room I met Carlil. Five extremely boring minutes later Felli walks in. Her face is beaming.

"I've seen my parade outfit and I love it. I'd like to see you top it." She gloats as if she forgetting that the same person designed the two outfits. Her lavender hair is in long curls that reach down to her sides. This is the first time I realize just how long her hair is. My hair goes down six inches below my shoulders and it's still hard to take care of. I can't imagine having hair as long as Felli. How can she stand it? And what is she going to do when she gets into the Games? I shake my head, it doesn't matter to me what she does as long as my hair stays out of my way. Standing up, I walk toward the door Felli entered from. Inside I see Carlil unzipping a plastic cover… He's got to be kidding. That will never work. It can't work.

"Remember. In advertisements, the simplest of things are what really catches people's attention as long as their presented in the right way." Carlil smiles at me.

Ah the irony. The people of the Capitol seem to have distain for all things simple yet the very thing that convinces them to buy complicated stuff is very simple at the core. Most people in the advertising business do not like this fact but time as proven the more complicated and flashy an ad is, the more it distracts consumers and after they've seen the ad they never know what it was the ad was selling… Still, I'm not overjoyed about my parade outfit. Maybe I can make myself forgettable before the Games start. Then I'll hide somewhere, like under a rock, and wait for everybody else to kill each. Then when it comes to me and the last person I'll… I'll… What will you do Chelen? You're not a killer. I shake my head the way I did when I dismissed the thought about Felli's hair.

Carlil puts the outfit away. "You'll be changing downstairs, that way none of you mess up your outfits."

I look at myself in the mirror. Damn! I'm so plain. Why didn't I realize that before in my life? I like my simple fashion, that's not what the problem is. The girl looking back at me in the mirror only had a little bit of make-up on and her hair was down but curly and she looks so much better than I do on a regular basis. I never wear make-up or do my hair unless it's to straighten it or put in back in a pony-tail. No wonder guys have never been attracted to me. I mean I wouldn't have time for any boyfriends but it still would be nice to have been asked out. If I didn't have to take care of everything in my life I probably would have asked out a guy or two, some of them are cute. Wait, I have more important things to worry about right now. Like what the hell is Carlil attaching to my wrists.

"What are you doing?" Katniss asks as she walks up to us. She looks as confused as I feel. "Are those rockets? We want her to leave an impression not leave the parade. Or is this your way of saying you don't really like her and you want to get rid of her?"

Carlil laughs.

"How is this funny!" I burst out as panic set in. "Katniss, he's about to send me into outer space using seven inch long rockets. I don't see how this is funny?" I can feel my body starting to shake.

"I'm not laughing. Carlil. She's my best chance of getting out of that arena alive; you can't kill her before the Games even start." I'm her best chance? Cool. Well, if I die in this parade I guess it doesn't really matter though.

"They're not rockets," Carlil says and I let out a sigh of relief. My body starts to calm down- "They're fireworks."

My body started to calm down but now it's shaking again. Fireworks. They're soooooo much safe than rockets. Even Katniss is taken aback.

"Fireworks?" She says and leans slightly forward, I guess she wants to make sure she heard him right. "What are you going to do with fireworks?"

"It's not what I'm going to do; it's what she's going to do." Carlil looks quite proud of himself.

"And what is it she's going to do?"

"She's going to have a real showstopper." Carlil turns to me. "Chelen. When you and Kyro leave the building entrance I want you to count to ten and then light the one on your right arm with one of these matches." He holds out a box of matches and hands them to me. "Immediately after that I want you to spin once and throw your arm up in the air. Make sure you are pointing up because as soon as your arm is in the air the firework will release and go flying. In five seconds it will detonate and spell out something in the sky. Then acount to ten again and do the same thing with your left arm."

Sounds simple enough but-

"What if something goes wrong?" Katniss asks. Was she sensing my fear? Or was she reading my thoughts? "What if she doesn't time it right? What if it doesn't go up into the air and detonates while it's still on her arm?"

"What if the fire Cinna used didn't work and didn't make you the Girl on Fire?" Carlil asked and Katniss instantly kept quiet. Then he turned to me. "Chelen I know you're scared but a little fireworks compared to the arena, now which one are you more scared of. The worst thing that can happen here is that it doesn't work out and you become the laugh stock of all the tributes."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I ask.

"I wasn't done. If you do become the laughing stock than everyone will most likely ignore you and then all you have to do is last it out till you're one of the last remaining. Either way this will work." He sounds so sure of himself. "Do you trust me?"

I smile and nod. He is the expert after all. "Yes, I trust you."

"Good. Now, I must go help Felli with her outfit. Kyro is over by the chariot already and he'll sending up fireworks with you." Carlil yells to me as he runs off to find Felli. Kyro? I wonder what he's wearing.

I look over at Katniss. She already walking to where Kyro is standing. Am I really her best chance? Is that why she's target me out of the four of us. Peeta did tell me Katniss said she wanted to mentor me, not Kyro, not Felli, not Yansen. Me. She wants to get me out.

Kyro is dressed like a boxer and had on star shaped sunglasses and the same fireworks were on his wrists. He had a scowl on his face.

"What's your problem?" I ask when I finally reached them. He looks me up and down.

"What are you supposed to be?" He asks, rather rudely.

To be honest, I have no I idea what I am. I'm supposed to be an advertiser but I'm just dressed in a silver suit. "It's a surprise." I say indifferently. I don't care what Kyro thinks of me, I just wish I knew what angle Carlil was going for. What's this fireworks thing about?

"Chelen!" Someone yells. I turn to see one of my prep team members running toward me. She's carrying some things and she looks like she about to drop them. "Carlil forget these up-stairs and told me to bring them to you. I hope I'm not too late."

"No, you're not too late." I say and I want to add her name but I don't know it. Now I regret not talking to them. She holds out a pair of the same sunglasses that Kyro was wearing only they were a different color.

"Everyone from the Northern Section will be wearing these. And Carlil also wanted you to have this." She hands me a briefcase. Again, I say I'm supposed to be an advertiser. By the look of it I'm a business person. I sigh and take hold of the briefcase. "He said that you'd know what to do."

What? How am I supposed to know what to do with it? Before I can say anything more to her she's leaving. How nice is that? She didn't even wish me luck. I take back what I said, I'm glad I didn't talk to them.

"What are you supposed to do with that?" Katniss asks. I sigh and shake my head.

"I can't read people's minds." I say and climb onto the chariot. I take a deep breath and put a smile. Be happy Chelen. This is one of your shinning moments of your life. You won't have many them left, enjoy this while you can.

I feel Kyro step up next to me.

"Two minutes till the first chariot." Katniss says. "Don't be scared."

I look at her, somehow I know she is addressing me. "I'm not scared." I tell her. I am scared. This can't end well for me. My life is over. Rather it ends here or in the Games, my life is over. The chariots in front of us start to move and before I knew we're moving. The lights of the AVE. are blinding when Kyro and I take our place in the parade. I hear people shouting and cheering. I look over to Kyro, he's smiling and waving and making me look like an idiot. I quickly start waving at everyone. 1…2…3…4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9…10. I quickly take out the matches Carlil gave me and I see Kyro doing the same thing out of the corner of my eye. We look and one another before lighting the fireworks at the same time. I lose focus of Kyro as I spin around the way Carlil showed me. Then I throw my arm up and feel the firework take off toward the sky. The shouting and cheering grows louder, the crowd is hysterical. I glance back and see that Kyro's firework spells out "Happy Capitol Games!" Below that mine has spelled out the date the Games start.

1… (I go back to waving and smiling) 2… 3… 4…5…6… (I am faintly aware that I am glowing) 7… 8… 9… (I take out the matches again) 10. I light the match, this time not waiting for Kyro, and light the firework. I spin again, only this time I spin the other way. I'm laughing as I throw my left arm up. This is fun. The firework takes off and I look up at it this time, complete amazement. I watch as the fireworks detonate and spell out "The must see televised event of the year! Sponsor your favorite tributes and watch to see who left standing at the end!"

Like before, the words hover in the air, changing colors, for a minute before they fades into the night sky. The crowd's gone wild. Kyro and are on every television screen that surrounds the AVE. I finally see what everyone else is seeing. Blue, red, purple, green, white, and black sparks illuminate my body. My suit is shining gold with no trace that it was ever silver. My hair is glow a dim red and my name flashes across the lens of my sunglasses. I keep waving and smiling as I look from screen to screen.

"_She's going to have a real showstopper.__" _Carlil's voice echoes in my head. The fireworks couldn't be what he was talking about. I did them with Kyro. If they were the showstopper Carlil would have said that Kyro and I would have it but he didn't say that. He said I would have it. I look down at the briefcase and pick it. I quickly open it and find exactly what I was looking for. I also find a microphone. I switch it on. I hope this works.

"Hey Panem!" I say into the mic. I spin around so that I'm facing the majority of everyone. Every screen flashes so that they show me. The country's attention is solely on me. "You want to see something awesome!" The crowd grows louder. I hand the mic to Kyro and light four matches at the same time. I drop them into the briefcase and spin back around, throwing the briefcase into the air. Please let this go off before it hit the other tributes. Please let this go off before it hits the other tributes.

My prayers are answered when the briefcase exploded and countless of fireworks go shooting toward the sky. Everything's lit for what seems like forever with multi-color sparks. Eventually things calm down but by that time I've stolen the spotlight from any other tribute. Kyro may have helped me with the first two fireworks but the attentions on me. I become so lost in the limelight that I don't remember when we stopped in front of the President's Mansion. Just as the last chariot pulls in, all the sparks and light that was coming off of me fads until it's gone completely. Now, my silver suit is gold and my hair still shimmers in the light.


	14. Chapter 14

**Capitolrebel13: This will be far be my shortest chapter.**

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"Welcome Capitol Tributes." President Paylor says. The spotlight has shifted to her. She's wearing a beautiful white gown. Every other light has gone so that no one can help but stare in awe at her beauty. As she stands on the balcony above us I swear she looks like a pagan goddess, beautiful and powerful. When she spoke again she was not addressing us but the entire nation. "For 75 years the Districts have suffered for a crime that never happened. Yes, we rebelled and lost the first time but that does not mean we committed a crime. Long ago, before the Dark Days, The Capitol controlled everything. They controlled every aspect of our lives from what we ate to what we wear. For years the District obeyed whatever the Capitol said because that was the way of our lives. That was all we knew. We did not know how to run ourselves; we did not know how to take care of ourselves. Then something changed. District 13 came across old papers and books and movies about what life was like in Panem before it was Panem. They found out what life was like in the United States of America.

"America offered them the idea of a freedom they did not know; a freedom only the Capitol had. In America, everyone was free regardless where you're from or how rich you are. District 13 loved that idea; they idolized it till they couldn't take it anymore. They rebelled and after a short time of convincing, the rest of us followed. We didn't fail the first time because we were never meant to have freedom, we failed because we were poorly organized and the Capitol had many advantages over us. As punishment for wanting to be free and equal to the people in the Capitol, the Capitol claimed to have destroyed District 13 and they put in place the Hunger Games.

"For 75 years the Districts have watched 24 of their children go into arena each year and fight to the death until only one remained. We lost 1,749 children between the ages of 12 and 18, children whose lives were stolen from them before they got the chance to live them, because the Capitol thought that they were better than us. Now, 77 years later, the Districts have won the Second Rebellion. Now, almost 77 years to the day of the very first Hunger Games we have taken 48 of your children and for this year, and this year only, you will watch your children suffer for a crime they didn't commit. You will watch them change before your very eyes from the children you love so much to cold blooded killers.

"Tributes. We salute your courage and your sacrifice. And from every District person in the country we wish you a happy Capitol Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

When she says this a shiver goes down my spine. Not a single person in the crowd dares to make a sound. It's like the AVE. has become a ghost town. President Paylor has hit deep to home for Capitol citizens. The words she has just spoken were the exact words President Snow used to say every year after the Tributes' Parade, the exception of substituting the word "Hunger" for the word "Capitol". For years these words were sacred to most Capitol citizen because they were never used against their own children. Now that they were being used against their children I think they realize just how horrible it is to say. With her speech over, the horses start to pull us away back to the Training Center.

* * *

**Peeta: That speech sent shivers down my spine.**

**Katniss: It reminded me too much Snow but than I guess that was the point.**

**Chelen: Can you please tell the next story now?**

**Capitolrebel13: I can't do that without finishing this one.**

**Chelen: I hate going down down memory lane.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Capitolrebel13: ok, so some people have asked me more about what Chelen looks like-**

**Chelen: I guess you are a good writer after all.**

**Capitolrebel13: Shut up. Theresa will mention something at the end of the chapter but I'll let Chelen describe herself right now.**

**Chelen: I have green eyes, short spiky-**

**Capitolrebel13: Ahem. Back before the Games, not after.**

**Chelen: Oh right. Long curly white blonde hair, golden brown skin,a scar on my left cheek, and I'm 5 feet 9 inches. **

* * *

I don't remember most of the ride back to the Training Center. However I do remember, the look of pure hatred Felli possessed in her eyes. I only got to see that look for a moment before she slaps my across the face. Weakling. She's not going to last long. I rub the side of my face and look almost everywhere but her. When I finally meet her eyes again, I take the hand I had been rubbing my face with, ball it up, and sock her in the nose. Felli stumbles backwards and Kyro catches her.

"If you go looking for a fight you better be able to take a hit." I tell her.

"Now what happened?" We turn around to see Katniss, Carlil, Tenra, and Tari coming toward us. None of us say anything. "Well. What happened?" Katniss demands a little harder.

"Felli walked up and slapped Chelen and Chelen punched Felli." Yansen says. When did he get here? He must have come up with Felli but I was too focused on my cheek to notice him.

"Felli! If you try something again I swear you'll die at the bloodbath at the Cornucopia! I don't want any fights before the Games. I already have enough to worry about without you two killing each other." She's glaring at both of us now, as if it was really my fault. "The same threat goes for you too Chelen. Now, I want everybody up to our floor for some rest. It's going to be a long five days for you till the Games start."

We all go to our floor, including Katniss. It's late she probably doesn't want to have to get a cab and go all the way to the other side of the Capitol. She looks tired. Jealousy, mostly coming from Felli, is strong in the air and no talks about the parade. When the elevator doors open I push past everyone and head straight for my room.

* * *

My eyes shoot open. What was that? I've never had a dream like that. It was like I was surrounded by darkness and that voice… It was only a dream. It doesn't mean anything. I climb out of bed and get dressed. I'm not supposed to be awake for another two hours but after just happened I doubt I'll be able to fall back asleep. In the living room I find Katniss sitting at the dining table holding a mug up to her mouth… wait… They didn't feed us last night. I'm so hungry.

"What are you doing up?" Katniss asks.

"I couldn't sleep so I came looking for food."

Katniss smirks and takes another drink. "They used to let us eat after the parade when I was a tribute."

"It's not that they didn't let us eat. It's more, you didn't let us eat." I sit across from her at the table.

"If I recall correctly, you ran off to your room and didn't come back out." I laugh softy, making sure no could hear me, at what she said. I guess she's right, I did run off. "You really did do a great job out there tonight… last night? Whatever. You did great."

"Thanks." I say. Although I had fun doing it, I don't really want to think about it.

"How did you know what he wanted you to do?"

"I didn't. I took a chance and prayed I was right."

"You really stole the show. Nothing like that has happened before in the history of the Games. And then when you talked to the audience, everyone inside went wild. You certainly know how to work the crowd. I don't think I'll have to worry about your interview."

I shake my head. "I've been on Caesar's show enough times to be comfortable on stage."

A look of recognition flashes in her eyes and I know that she knows something about my past with Caesar. "I also think you'll do well in the Arena."

I start laughing again, only this I can't control it. "Yeah right. I don't got what it takes to survive in that place."

"I thought the same thing when I went in." she stands up. "Well, I better try and get a few hours of sleep. And there's food in the fridge."

"Thanks and good luck with the whole sleep thing." She nods to me but we both know that sleep probably won't find her.

What will it be like? The arena. I've seen it has a desert, a wasteland, a tropical island, a forest, a mountain side, a frozen tundra, and who knows what else it's been over the years. Gale Hawthorn said this year's arena will be like no other but what does that mean exactly?

I shake the thought from my head. I'm a Capitol person and I barely understand Capitol people, there's no way I'll be able to understand a District person. I glance at the clock to find that an hour as gone by. Everyone will be waking up soon for breakfast. Still, I'm hungry; I should at least eat a snack. I get up and go to the fridge. Inside is all kinds of food but they're mostly for large meals. I grab an apple and had back to my room.

The morning went uneventful. Everyone ate in silence, well… the tributes and Katniss ate in silence, everyone else talked about things going on around Panem. I barely listened to them, I'm going to die in the arena, I've lost all interest of what goes in the country. After everyone is dressed and we're all in the elevator, Katniss gives us a piece of advice, useful advice that is.

"Don't show your strengths. Intimidating's not going to get you anywhere. And keep a close on the other tributes but only take note of what they're good at. For all you know they could be hiding their skills."

All four of us nodded and the elevator doors shut. In the Training Center no one speaks to us like they did the day before. Right away I find Theresa at the spear station. Of course she'd be there, that was where she wanted to be yesterday. She turns around as I approach and nods in acknowledgement. I smile back and pick up spear. No later than that the spear instructor steps up.

"You two ever handle spears before?" She asks.

Theresa nods. "In a play a few times but there are many obvious differences."

"Such as, these are meant for killing. The ones in plays are meant for playing." She smiles and picks up her own spear.

* * *

Ok, I just suck when it comes to weapons. I just thought I'd get that out there right now. By lunchtime Theresa and I have covered almost every weapon and I plain out suck with them. It's my control over them that's the problem… I have none. Theresa's grown up reenacting different Hunger Games. Though these weapons are real, the essentials are the same I guess. Theresa excels with weapon she picks up. I barely have time to think before she disarms me.

"I think I'll hide under a rock and let everyone else kill each other." I say as we sit down at a table to eat, Theresa laughs.

"You can't. I'll starve to death. I can't catch nothing, with a trap or with a weapon. That's why we make such a great team. You can find the food and I can kill the tributes 'til there's no one left."

_When there's no one left that would only leave you and me and only one can win._ I don't say this but I can tell by the look on her face that the same thought has crossed her mind. Suddenly, I'm not so hungry anymore.

"You were awesome last night," she says, changing the subject. Good. I hate silences but I'm socially awkward so I'm not the best at starting a conversation. I shrug to what she says. "You and your long whitish curly blond hair and your green eyes. Everything just matched together for you last night."

"At least I don't have green hair and purple eyes." She glances up and gives me a look. I begin a look around, avoiding eye contact. "I didn't get to see what you were dressed as."

I spot some peacekeepers looking our way so I pick up my fork and start to play with my food. They look away and direct they're attention elsewhere.

"Me? Oh you know I was dress up as an opera singer. Nothing fancy. Never mind, I take that back. It was too fancy apparently."

I smirk and lift a forkful of potatoes to my mouth. My eyes flash back to the Peacekeepers that were watching me earlier, one is staring off into the distance while the other has directed her focus back to me. I look over and find Felli and Kyro sitting together with a pair of boys who I think are from the Eastern Section. Felli is laughing, twirling her hair, and batting her eyes at the two boys. A laugh escapes my lips when I look at Kyro. His arms are crossed and he has his head turned a way that says that he doesn't approve the situation. He's… pouting? I break into hysterical laughter causing Theresa to jump and everyone's heads to turn my way. I push my food aside and lay my head in my arms as I continue to laugh.

"What's wrong with you this time?" Theresa asks.

I sit back up and get my laughing under control. "Nothing."

* * *

**Katniss: Don't take this the wrong way but what the hell was wrong with you Chelen?**

**Peeta: Yeah, what were you laughing at?**

**Chelen: Everything. I was laughing at everything, especially our situation.  
**

**Gale: On the bright side, at least the audience will be very entertained by her. Gotta love it when a real weirdo ends up in the Games.**

**Johanna: What do you mean "gotta love it"? The purpose of getting rid of the Games was because they weren't lovable.**

** Katniss: You mean because they were wrong.**

**Johanna: That too.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Capitolrebel13: This is Chelen's private session. In the next the chapter you'll get glimpses of the other tributes sessions as well as the interview with Johanna but you'll see all that next time.**

* * *

"Chelen Heavensway," The metallic voice over the loudspeaker calls. I take in a deep breath to try to calm myself yet my body begins to shake. I stand and make my way to the door.

"_You know Chelen," Celi says. I place the pan down and over at her. She sitting at the table hunched over, her long blond hair falling all over her drawing. "If I had a world of my own everything would nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't."_

_I smile at her. "Then what would I be? If I am your sister in this world than what would I be in your world?" _

_Without looking up she answers, "The Rebel. You would be the person who fights against injustice. You know, that person in old movies who always gets away with breaking the law as long as it's for a good cause. You'd be the person who finally puts end to these Games and protects the District people from our harsh rule."_

I look up at where the Gamemakers sit. They all appear to be laughing about something. It's not hard for me to spot Gale Hawthorn in the middle of everyone. I had lied to Katniss when I had told I knew what I was going to do for them. Honestly, I don't have a single idea. I walk over to the weapon rake that holds some spears on it. I look up at the Gamemakers to find that they all have their eyes on me. I hate private sessions. Rather they're for the music teacher or the Gamemakers.

I run my fingers along the handle of a spear. If there was anything I learned from training, it was to thrown one of these properly… What am I doing? Why should I play by their games? I'm already their pillar of damage control just by being here.

I sit down and lean back against the rack. Closing my eyes, I try to lose myself in better times.

"Aren't you going to do something?" A Gamemaker shouts.

"What's the point?" I ask out loud.

"Your survival is what the point is." The same one shouts back. Oh, they heard that?

I take in a deep breath. "I was born of poison and blood. For the past seven years I've swallowed my pride and choked on my faith. My life's been on the line with anxiety. To keep my sister and father from starving I've given my heart and my soul. But the scars on my hand and the means to an end are all that I have to show. I may be Capitol born but I am far from the standard Capitol personal. I'm a survivor but I'm not a killer. To win these Games, you need to be both but I won't change for you. I choose the way I live and even though I may not choose the way I die, I will choose the person I will be when I die. I may have been the last one born but I was the first to run but I can't keep running forever."

A pause and look toward Gale Hawthorn.

"Gale Hawthorn. You may see me as a low-life Capitol citizen but believe me, I'm not like them. There are a few of us out there. We aren't all terrible. My generation though, and even a few before us, was born and raised by hypocrites. Our hearts were recycled but never saved, especially mine. I've spent my life as a working class hero. I've even gone out into the outer Districts a few times just to make ends meet. Condemnation is what I understand. I know what it's like to be looked down upon because I don't have as much as the next person. But I'll let you in on a little secret. You're turning into one of the people you fought so hard to get rid of. At least from my point of view you are. Promising us an Arena we won't forget and then acting like you had the time of your life making it. That sounds very much like a Head Gamemaker. But who am I to judge. Continue on the way you are. It makes no real difference to me so long as these Games are over after this.

"Can ask you one thing though?" Gale nods his head. "Do you know the enemy? 'Cause it's not me. If you really want to put an end to these Games, it's not me. I may not play by your rules but I won't give the Capitol audience something they'll want to see again. I know you drink from a well of rage but don't be blinded by the lies in your eyes… The Hunger Games were enough to make you sick. They made you want to cast a stone and throw a brick, which is what you did when the Districts rebelled. But during the War, when the sky was falling down, it burned so many dreams into the ground. The Districts are in ruins and the only way to help them is to put the past behind us.

"My Mother told me that these Games were never about forgiveness, they were about revenge. These Capitol Games are about revenge. This all is sick and twisted but it's what you want so there's no cancelling it now. But remember that the Districts have had enough of the Hunger Games and the Capitol, well, we've had plenty." I stand up and give a short bow. "I suck at fighting and with weapons. The only thing I'm good at is moving a crowd, not that I was trying to move you or anything. Just speaking my mind. May I go now?"

They all stare blankly at me, even Gale Hawthorn. I figured he would be the one scowling at me but I guess not. Finally after what seems like eternity, someone says yes to me leaving. I give another bow before turning and heading toward the exit. A few Peacekeepers are waiting to show me out and they stare at me with same blank expression as the Gamemakers.

"She is the saint of all the sinners." I hear someone say behind me.

"Yeah. The one that's fallen through the cracks. Guess they're really not all bad." Someone else says and then the gate closes behind me. The next tribute, Kyro I think, gets ready for his private session.

_I sit down next to Celi at the table. "What have I told you about our harsh rule?"_

"_Don't mention anything about it. Anywhere. Because the government could have anything bugged and if we caught for treason we'll be turned into Avoxes." Her voice is filled with irritation but I can't let her go around saying such things. She's nine, it's about time she learned that the only real way to get by is to keep your head down and your mouth shut. _

"_That's right. Now I need to get dinner started." I get up and go back to stove. Celi gets up and leaves the kitchen, taking all her stuff with her. Just then Dad comes into the room. _

"_Chelen." It's been a couple of days since I've seen him and over a week since I last heard him say anything. This is why when he says my name I'm surprised. "Your mother's gone. You're the only thing she has left to look up to. The Hunger Games have no real role models and neither does the Capitol. She wants to be a better person but how can nine year old really know right from wrong without someone showing them the way?"_

"_What do you want me to be?" I ask._

"_A rebel. A saint. A valiantly. It doesn't really matter to her so long as you don't lose your faith and you never give up fighting for what you believe in."_

* * *

**Capitolrebel13: I do have to give credit to Green Day because about 25% of Chelen's speech were lyrics from Green Day songs.**

**Chelen: So you're not original at all are you?**

**Capitolrebel13: yes I am. I was just obsessing over Green Day when I wrote this chapter.**

**Katniss: Aren't you still obsessing over Green Day?**

**Capitolrebel13: That's not the point. Anyways, this is called fanfiction for a reason you know. In my original work I don't quote songs, so get off of my case.**

**Peeta: Review**

**Gale: Or not. Be a loser and don't review. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Capitolrebel13: IMPORTANT announcement! This chapter is set up a little differently. To make it easy here's how's it's going to work. **

**BOLD= Caesar and Johanna**

_Italic = Private sessions_

Normal= Chelen

* * *

I drop dead on the couch, not really wanting to talk to anyone.

"So how did it go?" Tari asks. I give her a grunt as an answer.

"That bad huh?" Katniss says with a laugh. "You don't have to talk about it."

"Just remember that it's only the good scores that count. No one pays any real attention to the low ones."

The TV flicks on. Tenra and Carlil enter and room and have a seat. Carlil asks me how everything went but I just shrug.

**Caesar stretches out as he gets ready for the interview. **

"**So Caesar, you seem like you're pretty good mood." Johanna says. "Every time I've seen you, you were in a down and depressing mood."**

"**I'm still in a down and depressing mood but Effie got after me and said I need to be livelier. More like the way I used to be." **

"**So you're just another pawn than?"**

"**Yup. Then again, I've always just been another pawn. If I did something Snow didn't like he would call and make sure I didn't do it again next year. Now it seems Paylor's trying to do the same thing. If only Terra was still here. She used to argue with Snow's assistants, saying that it was my show and that if Snow didn't like what he saw than he shouldn't watch it. If she wasn't the biggest name in the Entertainment Section, he would have killed her long before her death."**

"**That Chelen Heavensway girl is her daughter right?" Johanna asked**

"**Yeah, she is. But Terra did everything to keep Chelen and Celi out of the spotlight. She didn't want the Media to be all over her private life. It worked pretty well with Celi 'cause she was always with her Dad. Chelen was another story. She used to love the spotlight and she would make appearance on my show from time to time. But after Terra died they moved to a much smaller out-of-the-way type of house and the Media forgot about them. Which is good, Chelen's personality changed after she lost her mother. She wanted nothing more than to become invisible. Than for some reason, right before the 74****th**** Hunger Games Chelen did a 180 and went back to the way she was before her mother's death."**

**A voice came over the loudspeaker to let everyone know they would be going live in less than a minute. **

_A boy, about the age of eighteen, aims a bow and arrow at a dummy. Letting go of the arrow, it flies across the target range, hitting an inch away from the heart. The boy turns and aims at the next dummy, this time hitting dead set in the center of the brain area. He turns again and shoots at the third dummy, hitting it in the neck._

After a minute of commercials the interview finally starts. Caesar sounds much more up-beat than the last time I saw him but it's just an act. I've dealt with actors my whole life. I know when people are faking.

"**So, Johanna. Welcome back. The last time you were here was for the Quarter Quell."**

"**Thanks for having me Caesar. And thankfully this time I won't be on my way to my death after the interview ends." A mild laugh comes from the audience. **

"**Johanna, tells us because I'm sure I'm not the only who wants to know. What have you been up since the end of the War?"**

"**I've developed a love for…" The audience leans forward in anticipation. **

_A girl, with short rainbow curls and about the age of fifteen, runs as fast as her feet would carry her through the obstacle course. At the finish line, she scolds herself when she finds she did not beat out Chelen Heavensway's score._

"**Law stew!" The audience falls back in their seats, disappointed that they did not get what they were looking for. "It's all Katniss's fault. She made me have some once some time ago and now it's my favorite stew. Oh and I also start a relationship with Gale Hawthorn."**

**The audience whistles and ohs. Caesar laughs.**

"**Way to drag that out. How long has it been going on?"**

_A small twelve year old girl sets up traps all around a grassy area and looks up timidly at the Gamemakers. Some look bored and unimpressed while some look at with her empathy. Gale has his head turned away and was trying hard to fight back tears. The girl's hair was blond and it was in two braids on either side._

"This all is sick and twisted but it's what you want so there's no cancelling it now._" Chelen Heavensway's voice echoes through Gale's mind. _

"**We've been together for a few months now. He was in Seven on some business and he looked me up to hang out. We went out to dinner and ended up budding heads a lot. It was wonderful. We ended up going to dinner five times before he left. Then we started calling each other. He invited me down to Two but before I gave him answer I had to call Katniss."**

"**Why'd you have to do that?" Caesar asks**

The whole country knows that Gale Hawthorn and Katniss aren't really cousins but I guess Caesar had to ask to remind everyone. I glace over at Katniss. Her express is blank but she's trying hard not to let anything show. Yansen comes in crashes down on the couch partially onto of me. Since we used to be friends it doesn't really bug me as much as it probably should.

_A fourteen year old girl, with black hair highlighted with multicolored feathers, swings her way across some monkey bars._

"**Because Katniss and Gale are best-friends. Or at least they used to be. I'm on pretty good terms with Katniss and I wanted to make sure it was ok with her that I was hanging out with Gale."**

"**And was it?" Caesar asked with an uncontrollable smile on his face. **

"**Well, considering Gale and I together now what do you think?" The audience laughed.**

**Caesar turns and gives the audience a huge shrug. "What do I know about young love nowadays? In case you haven't noticed Johanna I'm not exactly the youngest person here." Johanna laughs, followed by the audience.**

Yansen leans over and places his head on my shoulder. His hand quickly finds mine. I feel his body slightly shaking against me.

"That bad?" I ask and he nods his head. I wonder what he did. Slowly I close my hand around his and lean into him. I don't care about the rest of the interview. I don't care about my crush on Caesar. I don't care about what everyone else might be thinking. I don't care about the Games. Right now Yansen, the boy I used to consider a bother, needs me. And I may just need him in return

"**Enough about Gale," Caesar says and the audience boos. Caesar waves them off. "Tell us about how Seven has been doing."**

"**You're so demanding, Caesar. You are, you really are. I mean all you say is "tell us"." Johanna turns toward the audience. "You guys know what I'm talking about. Every time he changes that topic he says "tell us"."**

**The sound coming from the audience is a mixture between cheers and laughter. Caesar himself even laughs.**

"**I'm sorry for being so demanding."**

_A fourteen year old boy throws a spear a hundred and fifty yard across the room, his bronze hair slightly falling in front of his face when he's done._

"**How is Seven doing? Is that better?" Caesar asks.**

**Johanna gives him a satisfied smile. "Yes it is Caesar and Seven is doing good. We're the lumber district so we are quite skilled with rebuilding houses. There have been meetings at the Justice Building about some of us going to the other districts to help rebuild their homes but right now it's just talk. I'm going to help other districts for sure though, I'm all about unity within Districts."**

_A girl about the age of sixteen burst her head up above the water's surface. She takes in a deep breath. On the wall behind her a timer flashes 5:45:25._

"**Can you give some hit of what the arena will look like? Surely Gale has told you something."**

**Johanna swings her head in a wave like movement as she thinks about it. "Well I can say one thing about it."**

_A seventeen year old boy rigs up a homemade bomb and throws it over to some forest like area. The bomb detonates and the surrounding trees catch fire._

**Caesar leans forward. "Oh and what's that?"**

**Johanna takes in a deep breath. "Gale is… Well… He's going to– this is what he told me– he's going to send you back to the place where it all began." The audience falls dead silent as everyone takes in what Johanna had said.**

_A girl, no older than thirteen, swings an axe around a few times before letting go. It flies across the room, drops into the pool of water and lands in the center of a target that waited at the bottom. As she gives a bow her orange hair falls forward revealing her blue lowlights. _

**In his ear piece Caesar can hear someone telling him to wrap it up. He turns to the camera and smile. "Well, I guess we're out of time." The audience whined. "I'm sorry but I can't change anything. The next show **_**just**_** has to come on. Let's give it up for Johanna Manson." The crowd cheers. Johanna stands up and gives them all a bow. **

I wake up to Katniss shaking me and Yansen. As him and I sit up, I look around. Felli and Kyro are sitting on the couch opposite of us. Felli is staring off into the distance. Kyro is staring at Yansen with… jealousy?

"And so ladies and gentlemen," a voice from the TV says. I turn my attention from Kyro and his strange staring to the scores that are about to appear. "We have the final scores from the private session ready to go. First is…"

I zone out. Staring out the same window that Felli is.

"Chelen Heavensway." The guy's voice says. Remember Chelen, scores only count if they're good. Remember, scores only count if they're– "Twelve."

In the last 30 years teenage suicide as increased tree hundred percent in Panem, and is the second leading cause of death in the Capitol. You see, we Capitol children really aren't that happy.

"Chelen, are you ok?" Carlil ask. I look up at them. Before I get the chance to respond, Yansen's score is on the screen. He gets a four. I hear Kyro laughing and look down at Yansen. He's sliding down in the couch to make himself seem smaller. On the table there is a knife that is used for cutting cheese. The next thing I know it that Felli has screamed and jumped away from Kyro. Kyro sits and simply stares at me. Katniss is on her feet pulling me out of the room. Behind Kyro, the cheese knife is sticking out of the wall.

I beat up Kyro once when we were in the sixth grade. I punched him in the gut and jaw. I do not remember punching him anywhere. I do not remember going up to him at all. One minute I'm on the swings, noticing he's trying to take something away from Celi, the next I'm being dragged down to the principal's office… No one gets away with mess with the people I care about.

* * *

**Capitolrebel13: I hope that wasn't too confusing to anyone. Anyways, there only one chapter left before the Games start**


	18. Chapter 18

**Capitolrebel13: This chapter's kinda long because I wanted** **to start the Games but I didn't want to jump over this stuff. Chelen's interview itself isn't real long, it's just that everything leading up to the interview is.**

* * *

For the whole week I just wanted the Games to start. Now here we are on the day of the interviews and I'm seriously wishing it was that first day again.

"The Interviews start at 7 tonight and its 11 now, so that gives us enough time to go over everything. You will see me for your angle and Tari for proper posture." I roll my eyes when Katniss says "proper posture". I don't care what Tari says, I'll sit anyway I want.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fame is now injectable and faith is unavailable." I look back toward everyone to find them staring at me. Damn! Did I say that out loud? I give a week smile. "On the bright side, our lives are becoming incredible."

I see in everyone's eyes that no believes that our lives are becoming incredible.

Katniss shakes her head. "Tari, Chelen and Kyro were chosen at the Reaping so they're going first. Which one do you want?"

"Kyro!" She says so fast that it makes Katniss jump. Do I scare her _that_ much? Kyro smirks and Felli snickers, Yansen just shakes his head the same way Katniss had done a moment or so ago. Kyro gets up and Tari all but runs out of the room with Kyro following. I look at Katniss at cocks her toward the door leading to the balcony and stands. As I walk out, I still hear Felli laughing.

"You're unbelievable, oh so unbelievable." Katniss says sitting down.

"I'm unbelievable yeah but I'm undefeatable. I ruin everything… or so I've been told." I smile at her.

"You're going to make it very difficult to get you out alive, aren't you?" I give her a smile and nod. I might as well entertain myself some way before I go into the Arena. "Well knock it off! You have a young little sister waiting for you to come home." My smile fades as an image of Celi flashes in my mind. I promised her I would at least try to win.

"That's what I thought. Now, what's your angle?"

I think about it for a moment and avoid her eyes. "Be myself."

"Do you think that's going to work?" She seems very serious, like she doubts that I can win over the crowd that way. I wouldn't blame her if she did; after all I've already made enemies with Felli and scared Tari.

"Caesar will help me."

"Do you consider him asking about Celi help?" I look her dead in the eyes now. "Because that's what he's going to ask about eventually."

I forgot; for celebrities nothing is private. And no matter how much I try to deny it, I am a celebrity now.

"That being the case, I'll tell him the truth. I care for her and didn't want her dying. I even won't hide that fact that it still hurts when I think about the Reaping." I can tell that my voices cracks and I can feel tears threatening. I turning my head off to the side and take a deep breath. "Until he asks about Celi though I think I'll stick with being humorous."

"Can you handle that?" She asks. I look at her and nod. I can handle that, at least with Caesar I can. "Then you may go. Please send Yansen in on your way out."

I stand and head toward the door but then stop.

"Am I allowed to leave the suite or will I get killed for it?" I ask.

Katniss takes a moment to think about it. "You're allowed to wonder the building but you're not allowed to leave. Why? Where do you want to go?"

I shake my head and turn back around. "Nowhere in particular. Just for a walk. This place is too stuffy for me."

"Just be back before five. You still have to do your stuff with Tari."

I nod and head in. As I walk past Yansen and Felli, I tell Yansen that Katniss wants to see him. He asks where I am going but I already have the door closed behind me before he can even finish his question. The hallway stands deserted. There are no guards placed anywhere. I don't see any cameras when I look around but I don't doubt they're there. I turn and head toward the elevator. I press the up button but… do I really want to take the elevator? I've used them my whole life, they're not that great. Besides, I need time to think and I just don't think that well on elevators.

Looking around, I spot a door with the sign "stairway" attached to it. Just as the elevator doors "ding" open I start to walk over to the stairwell. It's even more eerie than the hallway. The walls aren't decorated to look pretty, there's no carpet on the floor, and I swear I hear the faint sound of water dripping.

Everything seems surreal lately. Can this really all be happening? I mean, is my life really over?

"_Mommy, can we adopt Yansen?" Mom looks up from a stack of papers. Yansen and I are standing in the door way. He's slightly hiding behind the door frame while I swing back and forth on my feet. _

"_Why would we do that?" She asks and then covers her month. She begins coughing and it takes a moment for her to get it under control. Lately she's been coughing a lot and is really tired but she won't tell me what's wrong. She's gone to the doctor's once but that was months ago and the coughing hasn't stopped. I think she's starting to lose her color as well._

"_Because," I say. "I want a twin brother."_

_She laughs and stands up but fumbles a little and has to grab onto the book case behind her to keep her balance. Slowly she makes her way over to us. "Adopting him wouldn't make him your twin."_

"_But it would still make him my brother." I say with a smile and lean forward on my toes. _

"_And whose idea was this?" She asks with crossed arms, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth._

"_Mine." Yansen says and sets out from hiding. _

"_And what will your parents think when they find out you're no longer their son?"_

"_They won't care. They're always too busy putting on shows for President Snow at his mansion. They're never home and they never take care of me. They won't miss me at all. You're here for Chelen and Celi. I want to be of your family."_

I look up when I walk back on to my floor to find Yansen leaning against the wall outside the door. He's got a glass up to his month but isn't drinking from it. He appears lost in thought.

"What happened to us?" I asked. He looks up at me and gives me a confused look. "We used to be so close."

"We changed. Your mother died and you paid more attention to Celi and your father. At the time I was jealous, you were the closest thing I found to a family and I lost you. Now I see that you did the only thing you could. You assumed the head of the household. And I… Will I became very solitary and lashed out at people who didn't deserve it. When I realized I had become such a horrible person it was too late to change. People see only what they want to see and everyone saw me as a jackass."

I thought about it. I never saw Yansen with any friends and I only ever heard people at school complain about him, even the teachers.

"I miss her you know. Your mother that is. She was the closest thing I got to a mother. My parents' were never around. Ever. They never took care of me. They never watched me grow up. I was alone. When my parents were around, they fought with each other constantly. I was invisible to them."

What's wrong with me? I didn't see until now? And why did I need Yansen to explain it for me to be able to see it? He needed me. He was just as close with my mother as Celi and I were and I shut him out when she died. He needed someone, anyone. But the people of the Capitol… They don't care about anyone but themselves. Yansen's right, Capitol people see what they want to see. If they see something that they don't like, they tear it apart until there's nothing left.

"Then join my club." He gives me a funny look. "We're still waiting for this world to stop hating."

He laughs. "Who's all in it?"

"Me, myself, and I. Duh." He just shakes his head and smiles. I turn back to the door and walk inside. If I had to choose allies, I'd want Yansen. I don't care what Theresa says, I'll be allies with Yansen.

There is no one in the living room of the apartment. I walk over to the kitchen. I grab twenty-four cups, and thirty knives. I set the cups up in eight small pyramids.

Kyro's POV

She's throwing knives at glasses that wait on the counter. Each knife knocks down a one glass. She swings a knife in her hands for a moment, taking aim. She won't want to see me. After what I did to her sister all those years ago, I doubt she wants me to even be alive. Now's her chance to kill me, in the arena I mean. After a moment of hesitance I walk into the room and sit down on the couch opposite of her. She doesn't acknowledge me. She just keeps throwing her knives.

"I heard you went for a walk."

"I did." Chelen says, still not looking at me.

"When did you get back?" I ask her.

"Five minutes ago. My head was foggy. Now it's clear, so I'm back."

We sit in silent for a moment or two until I can't anymore. I have to ask. "What did you do to get a 12?"

"I don't know. I preached at them I guess. I didn't do anything. I just sat there and I told them how I felt about the games. I was tempted to throw a spear at the very end but I decided against it. I'm already playing in their games. I'm not playing by their rules." I simply stare at her. She laughs again. "They stared at me the exact same way that you are."

"Katniss said that you had to have done something pretty bad." She looks over at me as she throws another knife, "Remember how she and Peeta got 12s in the Quarter Quell. She said that they got that score so the other tributes had no choice but to target them."

"That being the case then it makes sense that they'd give me the highest score."

"Hopefully it'll backfire on them." Taken aback by my comment, Chelen screws up her throw. The knife completely misses the glass. She stares at me with the probably same look I had given her. "I mean that I hope that it'll just get you sponsors that will help get you out."

She thinks for a moment. The look on her face tells me that she can't understand what I've said. She shakes her head.

"Why do you hope it'll backfire on them?"

"Because you need to win."

"What about Felli?" She asks me and goes back to throwing her knives. She really does have perfect aim.

"So she's my girlfriend, that doesn't mean I like her." Chelen laughs and shakes her head again.

"It was arranged by our parents. I've never liked her and she's never liked me. We've just learned to tolerate each other. She's has no plans of sticking with me when the Games start and I don't have any plans to stick with her."

"Maybe it was a sign that you guys _really_ aren't meant to be together."

"Maybe what's a sign?" What is she getting at?

"You two going into the Games together." We both laugh, these Games are terrifying but I guess if we don't joke about the fear would consume us, then we'd stand no chance of surviving past the Cornucopia.

"I've never tried to be perfect 'cause I know I can't." I say. "Perfection is her direction however and that's one of the things that put us at odds."

Chelen tosses a knife up in the air, it does a couple of flips, before catching it and stabbing it into the wooden table.

"When did you become so wise?" She asks, the hint of a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. I tilt my head from side to side.

"Probably after we went to different high schools. That was when I really matured and realized I did some pretty awful things when I was younger."

She leans back in her chair and stares at me. "You did do a bunch of horrible stuff and I was always the one to clean up after you."

"Strange how everyone disapproved of you but when push came to shove you were their solution."

"That's sounds a lot like Capitol people to me…" She turns her head off to the side and stares out the window.

"You were never one of us were you?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"My mother disliked the Hunger Games and she passed that onto me and Celi. I should have lived in one of the Districts. I would fit in more there." I laugh.

"You're right, you _would _have fit in better there."

"Chelen! Your t-turn." I hear Tari call from the other room. Chelen place down her knives and gets up.

Chelen's POV

My dress is a green gown that's covered in blues gem in spiral patterns. It only has one strap that wraps around my left arm creating a sleeve. My heels are made of blue glass and my hair is highlighted with soft blue streaks. Carlil has assured me that the streaks will come out in tonight's shower. Next to me sits Kyro in dazzling red suit that reminds me a lot of Caesar's. In my right is the second boy that was reaped. I don't get a good look at him but from what I can tell his suit's multicolored.

I don't pay attention to any of first few tributes and when it's my turn I stand, take a deep breath, and walk on stage. I have to admit that I am excited. It's been years since Caesar and I have talked and my crush on him is taking control. Me and him certainly have a lot to catch up on.

"Our tribute of the hour, Chelen Heavensway!" Caesar announces. I can feel the glares coming from the other tributes as walk on stage. I smile and wave to everyone. The audience is going wild, I really am the crowd favorite. Caesar is smiling but with a real smile. He out stretches his hand and I take it. I first I think he's just going to shake it but then he pulls me into a hug. I hug him back but quickly push him away. _Caesar, you're not helping me. You're only making me more of a target_. We sit down. Remember when I said that my crush was taking control w

"So Chelen can you please tell us how's everything's been going for you? I mean, you have noticed the attention you're going right?"

"No Caesar, I haven't notice one bit." The audience laughs with me. I turn to them. "I'm serious. It's not like I have the right to watch to news or walk around the city. In fact I practically don't have any rights but hey that's the life a tribute. As for how things have been going, well let's just say that what's fun is fun and what's done is done." My smile hasn't left my face and it's starting to hurt.

"Have you made any allies during training or do you plan to stick it out alone?" He asks.

"Well, my best friend Theresa is going into the Games with me so of course we're going to be allies."

"Theresa?"

"Oh yes, you'll see her in a little bit. She'll be the one smiling uncontrollably because she has one of the biggest crushes on you. OPPS!" I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to cover my smile. "She's so going to hate me now. Just forget I said anything 'cause she's obviously not going to be my ally now." The audience laughs again and I sneak a glance at Theresa. Her face says that she's clam but her eyes says that she burning with anger. I look back at Caesar who is slightly chuckling.

"Other than that Caesar," I say. "I do have someone else in mind. I guess it's a good thing that Theresa won't have to allies with me after what I just because she doesn't like him at all."

"That's terrible. Can you tell us which one he is?"

I laugh and shake my head. "No I can't tell you. You'll just have to wait until the Games to find who he is. And before you say something or get the wrong idea, he's_ not _a love interest." I shuttered at the thought. "He used to be like a brother to me."

"Used to?" Caesar asks.

"Thing changed when my mother died."

Caesar sits back and readjusts himself in his chair. He takes in a deep breath then puts on a fake smile for the cameras. "For those of you who don't know or don't remember, Chelen's mother was one of, if not the most famous advertiser and producer in Capitol history. She used to be in charge of my show before she died seven years ago. What's it's been like for you since then Chelen."

I shift in my seat much like the way Caesar just did. "Well… Snow took about 90% of our money claiming that Mom was deep in debt."

"Did you believe it?"

"No. Not for a second. Anyone who knew my mother knew how outspoken she was about President Snow and how much she hated him. She made no effort in trying to hide it." Why are we talking about her? I don't want to talk about her. Caesar doesn't want to talk about her. Why are we talking about her? I look toward the cameras. Remember when I said that my crush was taking control? Not anymore. Maybe I should let go of my emotions and just talk. I promised Katniss I would try to as honest as possible.

"Anyways. I moved myself and my sister and my father in a smaller house but his job still doesn't cover the bills so I work… odd jobs around the Capitol. I've even gone out into the Districts." A few gasps came from the audience I glace their way for a moment. Capitol citizens don't seem to understand why I had to go to the Districts while Districts citizens look pleased to find someone has really seen what it used to be like out there.

"So you've been taking care of your family since Terra, I mean, your mother died?" Caesar asks, stumbling over his own words.

"Yes, I have. I love Celi, my sister more than anything. My relationship with her is much like the one Katniss had with her sister. I even promised Celi that I would try to win like Katniss did. But there are differences between Katniss and me."

"Oh and what's that?"

I swallowed hard and take in a deep breath. "I'm… not willing to play by the Gamemakers rules. Up until the very end of the 74th Games Katniss did what they wanted to try to win and get home to her sister. Celi wouldn't want that. She told me once that if she had her own world I would be that rebel that fought against harsh governments and save people. Since then I've been trying to live up to the role model I should've always been. If I come back I want to be a person that Celi can be proud of. Whenever my father would get after my mother about the things she would say against President Snow, she would tell him that she wasn't going to waste her time by becoming another casualty of our society." I turn my head away from Caesar and stare directly into the cameras. When I speak again my voices is filled with that same the frustration and anger that Katniss had when she told the Capitol that if Districts burned than everyone burned.

"I will die proving that these Games are wrong from the Reaping to the last tribute standing but I will not die for senseless revenge. I'll never fall in line if it means becoming a victim of your conformity."

There is a long silence until the buzzer goes but Caesar simply stares at as I stand up.

"Caesar?" I say but he doesn't really respond. I reach down and grab his hand, pulling him to his feet. He stumbles at first before he regains his balance.

"Chelen Heavensway everyone!" He raises our hands up and everyone cheers me on. "And may the odds be her favor 'cause I'm sure she just sentenced herself to death." He voice hits of a small laugh and I laugh along with him. Who knows, perhaps I did just sentence myself to death. After my private session and now this, the Gamemakers probably want me dead more than anything. Maybe they'll rig the pedestal to blow up on me before I get the chance to step off. Not that it really matters. Coming out of the Arena dead or alive is not my main concern now. No… My main is concern is how I'm going to live up to what I just told Panem… Yes Katniss, I am going to make it difficult to get me out alive. Celi would never forgive me if I didn't.

* * *

**Felli: Haha you scare Tari.**

**Chelen: *itch please. I scare everybody. Get over yourself.**

**Katniss: How many times to I have to say "enough" to you two. You are not in the Arena, stop fighting.**

**Kyro: And who were you trying to impress with _that _speech?**

**Chelen: Who were you trying to impress with that suit?**

**Kyro... touché. **

**Peeta: The next chapter we finally get to the Arena.**

**Chelen: Yay *eye roll***

**Effie: Is Tari and I the only one's excited to see what Gale has up his sleeve?**

**Katniss, Chelen, Peeta, Caesar, Kyro, and Yansen: Yes!**

**Caesar: Anyways, Review.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Capitolrebel13: Welcome and let the Capitol Games begin!**

**Chelen: I hate you**

* * *

"_Gale, you can't kill her!"__ Johanna yells. Papers scatter the floor of his office and his desk is thrown on its side. Gale sits in his chair messing with a hunting knife. If he closes his eyes and press the blade to his nose he can swear that it still smells like the forest of District 12. _

"_And why not? She's… She's not the type of person I want in the Arena. The Capitol's not supposed to have people like her."_

_Johanna takes a step closer and sits down on the edge of desk. "Look. I don't particularly don't like her either but she's the crowd favorite and if you kill her than no one's going to take it siting down. And you can't constantly be pushing her toward other tributes. The public will see that. You just have to wait for her to die."_

"_And if she doesn't?" Gale asks. He was the head Gamemaker, these were his Games to play with and now this girl comes along and does not follow the rules. Is this what it was like for Seneca Crane when Katniss volunteered? Or did he have no idea what she was capable of?_

"_If she wins than you'll just have to move on with your life." Johanna says before standing up and __leaving. She stops at the door and looks back over her shoulder. "You said that Chelen gave a speech during her private session and in that speech she said that you were turning into the very people we fought so hard to get rid of. If you really don't want her to win The Games than maybe you are turning into one of them." With that said Johanna leaves Gale to his thoughts._

We'll in the elevator that takes us down to hovercrafts. Katniss is in the middle with me on one side and Kyro on the other. Yansen and Felli as with Tari and will be going in a different hovercraft.

"Ok, some last minute advice." Katniss says. "I already told Felli and Yansen this before we left. First off, unless you're 80% confident that you can survive the Cornucopia, run away. Find water. As Haymitch told me years ago, water's your new best friend. If you've already made allies with someone, well than find them first but remember alliances and friendships only go so far in the Games." She looks at when she says "friendships". I simply nod.

"Second. Know your enemy. People you ally with aren't you're enemy, they just the same as you are. They're just people who are being thrown into something where they don't belong. True allies won't backstab you the first moment they get. I've seen the tributes. Some of them are more blood thirsty than most Careers. Some are con artists and cunning trickster. What I'm really trying to say is: watch you're backs and trust no one. And remember, I'll be trying my best to best one of you three out."

"Three?" Kyro says. His face twists in confusion.

"What?"

"You said three." I say. It sucks to be Felli.

"No I didn't." Katniss protest. "I said four. I'm going to try to get one of you four out.

"No, you said–"

"Kyro, let it go. You don't even like Felli." I interrupt. Kyro snaps his mouth shut and his eyes fall to the floor. Katniss looks back and forth between Kyro and me before sighing and shaking her head.

"Ok, moving on. Just keep yourselves alive out there. And Chelen?" I look at her. "The day before the 74th Hunger Games Peeta told me he wanted a way to show the Capitol that they don't own him. If he was going to die he wanted to still be him. Don't let them win. When these Games are over, rather you're dead or alive, I want you to still be you. Both of you," Katniss takes a step back and looks at both Kyro and I. "Both of you are too good of people to let these Games change you. Either one of you or both of you are going to die and when that happens I want you to die in honor not in vain. Remember, the Cornucopia is a bloodbath. Run, find you're allies, get to water. Past that it's just…"

"Killing people." Kyro finishes for her.

Katniss gives him a nervous laugh. "Yeah, just killing people." A moment later the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "Good luck you two and stay alive."

I take in a deep breath and start to walk toward the hovercraft. Hey, wait a second. Wasn't there supposed to be someone walking with me? I stop and turn around. Kyro is still standing in the elevator with Katniss. He's shaking slighting and staring at the hovercraft like its Death itself. I walk back to him.

"Kyro," I say. He manages to take his gaze off the hovercraft to fixes it on me. "Don't tell me without a doubt this is dumb luck or I'll run out." He laughs, shakes his head, and finally walks with me. We walk to the hovercraft together.

"Chelen?" He says.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

I smile a little. "No problem but now I have a question for you?"

"Hmm?"

"When will all my problems disappear? Am I just going crazy from the fear?" I asks.

He laughs, not a funny laugh but an agreeing laugh. "I think we're all going crazy from the fear." We both start laugh and have to stop until it passes. Ahead of us some other tributes and peacekeepers stared at us like we're insane.

"I think… I think we should stop laughing now." Kyro says as he regains himself. "But thanks… again."

"What'd I do this time?" I ask

"Gave me one last time to laugh. I don't think there're many, if at all any, moments of laughter in the Arena. And if we don't see each other again I just want you to know that I l–"

I wait a moment but he doesn't finish. "You what?" I prompt him on. It won't be long before the peacekeepers come and force us onto the hovercrafts.

"Never mind." He walks ahead leaving me dumbfounded behind. I take in deep breath again and try to shake the nausea away. I jog but by the time that I catch up Kyro is already on the hovercraft. A few people glare at me but what do I care? There is someone in a white coat walking around.

"Show me your arm." He says when he comes to me. I sink back in my seat.

"Why? What is that?" I ask. He grabs my right arm and stabs it with a needle. Something is injected into my arm.

"Your tracker." He says. "That's the last one. You're ok to take off."

_Caesar chugs down an entire bottle of water. _

"_Someone's thirsty." Caesar looks up to find that Paylor is taking a seat next to him. Effie had said that Paylor would be with him on the first day._

"_I confess President, I didn't think you'd actually show up." Caesar says. His voice says that he is calm but the bottle in his hand is shaking so bad that Paylor has to take the bottle from him and set it down herself._

"_Oh I wouldn't miss this for the world." She smiles. _

That's a horrible way for a president to think. _Caesar shakes the thought from his mind._

"_Nervous huh?" She asks and Caesar nods his head. "I bet you want Chelen to win don't you?" Caesar nods his head again. Suddenly Paylor's voice changes from cheery to dead serio__us "Well don't think you can support her in any way. I know what you did during the 74__th__ Hunger Games and don't even try to deny it. By law you aren't allowed to sponsor anyone. Not then and not now. Hope you know what you're going to say when she dies. Believe me, she will. Gale hates her and I can't see him letting her get out of the Arena alive." _

_Caesar grinds his teeth to keep from saying or doing something that could get him arrested._

After I enter the dressing room the peacekeepers slam the door behind me. I slightly flinch from the sound but quickly shake it off. Felli and Carlil are already here. Carlil looks up and smiles. Felli doesn't acknowledge me. Carlil takes the coat off of its hanger and helps me put it on. It's sleeveless and made of rubber.

"How practical is that?" I ask. "A coat that goes down to my knees? Doesn't that make it too easy to get caught on something?

"Perhaps it's meant to be a blanket when you get cold."

"But rubber doesn't keep you warm." I say.

"I don't know Chelen. I didn't design it and I don't know what's going to be up there. Just bear with me." I nod. He's right, he couldn't possible know. "I have three more things to give you." Carlil reaches under the table and pulls out rubber boots that also reach up to my knees. I put them on without question. Next he opens a box and pulls out a pair of rubber gloves. I'm noticing a pattern here. The gloves reaches up to my elbows.

"Now the last thing is not from nor is it part of the Arena outfit." He hands me another box. By this time Felli has turned her attention to us. I open the box and gasp. Inside is a small necklace with sapphire in the shape of a wave. Inside is a note that reads: _Your mother would be proud–_ _CF_

"Why does she get something?" Felli's oh so annoying voice breaks my thoughts.

"It wasn't from me, Felli." Carlil says. "I was just told to give to her."

"But that's not fair!"

"Look it's not Carlil's fault nobody likes you." I say. Anger flashes through her eyes and she rush over to me.

WHAP!

Ok… the ceiling looks really nice when you're lying on the ground and looking at it through one eye. I was expected a slap from her like she did after the Tributes' Parade. How was I supposed to know she'd actually learn how to punch?

"Ok you are Chelen." Carlil says bending down next to me.

What? I already knew I was Chelen. Did he really have to remind me? He turns to Felli.

"Peacekeepers the call to need I do?" What does that mean? Felli seems to understand him though because she shakes her head and backs away. "Tube the in stand go then." Felli nods and walk over to her tube. The moment she sets foot in it the door closes behind her. I start to stand up and Carlil helps me. Great. Just what I need is to go into the Arena disorientated and with only one good eye.

"Chelen can you hear me." Oh yay! His words make sense again. I nod. He grabs my necklace and hooks it around my neck. "Ok listen. I can't do anything for you. You've got to be the in the tube in less than a minute. Just don't go and do anything that can get you killed. There are too many people working to try to get you out. Gale Hawthorn may want you dead but there are gamemakers that want to get out alive." He turns me around. "Panem made Katniss the symbol of rebellion and now they're making you the symbol of unity."

I barely time have to register what he's said, yet alone give a response, before the door of the tube shut around me. I lean back against the wall of the tube and stare at Carlil. He gives me a smile before turning to Felli and giving her a shake of the head. I look over at her; she has her arms crossed and her chin high. Slowly pushing myself off the wall I bring my hand to my right eye. I still can't open it and the slightest touch sends a piercing pain through my skull. There's a loud clang from someone under me and the platform begins to rise. I close my eyes– eye. I don't to know what the Arena looks like, not yet.

The stiffness of the tube fades but instead of smelling fresh air I begin to gag. I whip my eye open when the platform comes to a complete stop. We're in what looks like a dome. There are no windows and aside from the few lights on the ceiling the only thing giving off light is the glowing green liquid that fills the floor. I doubt its real waste, Gale Hawthorn wouldn't risk bringing back a victor that is radioactive, but I don't doubt that it'll burn when it touches the skin. This explains all the rubber.

In the center of the room lies the Cornucopia. It's glowing green as well and is covered in the warning sign of nuclear waste. All around its platform are swords, spears, axes, daggers, and other strange weapons I've never even seen. There are also packs of who-knows-what, survival stuff I guess. All forty-eight tributes form a circle around the Cornucopia. There are at least twelve doors that lead out of this place.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" A voice booms from overhead. It belongs to President Paylor. "Let the first and only Capitol Games begin!"

A clock over the Cornucopia appears and starts to count down from sixty seconds. I have sixty second to figure out what I'm going to. Should I sprint for the closest thing to me or should try to grab a spear or some daggers? Maybe I should just tackle Felli right as soon as the gong sounds. Twenty seconds left. Wait a second. Where's Theresa? And Yansen? And Kyro? I franticly look around the circle of tributes. Kyro and Yansen are a little ways down to my left. Ten seconds left. I can't find Theresa anywhere.

Five… Four…Three…Two…One…

I launch for Felli. She doesn't have enough time to get out of my reach and now we're both rolling on the floor. I was right. This glowing acid that's being passed off as nuclear waste burns when it comes in contact with skin. I had planned– well, I had wanted to be the one on top but it seems Felli has other ideas. All around me I hear screams and the splashing of the acid, along with sizzling of my hair as it burns away. I loosen my right boot then bring my leg up so that it hits her in the back of the head. Taken aback, Felli's grip on me loosens and I am able to push her off of me. This time I'm on top but instead of just holding her down I dig my nails into her neck… Celi… wouldn't… like to… see her sister this… way.

My grip on Felli loosens and I sit up straight. Time seems to have slowed down when I look back at the Cornucopia. So many fights going on, so much blood. Did we really consider this entertainment? Did death and torture really excite us that much we would send twenty-four kids to watch them fight year after year?

As I turn my head back to Felli, her fist slams into my jaw and I stumble backwards. Just as she's about to get up, a spear comes down and jabs her in the chest. She lets out a horrible sound that I assume to be a scream. Her attacker pulls their spear out of her and her body falls lifeless. I stare at Felli in shock. She's dead. Felli Teebrout is dead. I had just wanted to kill her a second ago but now…

Her attacker grabs me by the wrist and pulls me toward an exit I didn't see earlier. I don't look at who they are; all I can focus on is the Cornucopia. Katniss was right, it is a bloodbath.

My companion and I burst through the door of the exit and slam straight into a wall. I push off and finally see who it is. It's Yansen. And he's got two backpacks. The hallway is filled with broken lights. Some work, some don't, and some flicker. There must have been a crack in the doorway because there's no acid waste in the hallway. I grab Yansen wrist and start running away from the dome room of the Cornucopia. Please let there be a light at the end of this hallway.

We don't stop running until the screams have all faded away. Yet as we walk toward who-knows-what neither Yansen nor I say a word to each other.

"Do you see that?" He finally asks. I look up to see a thin crack of light ahead of us.

"Hopefully it'll be crack between two double doors."

Our prayers are answered when we reach the crack. They are doors. Yansen places his hand on one but I stop him.

"Wait." I take a step closer and peer out the crack. God knows what Gale Hawthorn has up his sleeve. "For all we know there could be some kind of muttation out there but I don't see anything." I push the doors open and take a step outside. As soon as I do we hear the familiar–

_Boom… 1_… _Boom… 2… Boom… 3… Boom… 4…. Boom… 5… Boom… 6… Boom… 7… Boom… 8… Boom… 9… Boom… 10… Boom… 11… Boom… 12… Boom… 13… Boom… 14_

Fourteen… Fourteen dead just at the Cornucopia alone and who knows who else will die today.

"So…" Yansen says taking a step outside. "This is what District 13 looks like in person. I wonder if this is supposed to be before the second rebellion or what it's supposed to look like now."

All around us are destroyed and rundown buildings and ash. The entire district is smoldering but at least the air is fresher than what is was inside the building and the sky is bl… Well, actually it's grey but grey sky is better than no sky. I turn and back up, looking at the build we've just came out of. If it wasn't plastered in in nuclear waste signs it might actually look pretty cool. From what I can tell it's only one floor and Cornucopia dome is to far back for me to see. I probably won't be able to see it unless I'm really high up or really far away. On the doors is a sign that reads: **radioactive waste. Trespassers will be executed on sight.**

"Do you really believe that was nuclear waste?" Yansen asks taking a step closer to me.

"No but District 13 was known for being just advance as the Capitol. I wouldn't put it place Gale Hawthorn if he put in a building that shot trespassers. Let's get out of here." We start to walk away and I can't help but ask. " You… Did you see Theresa or Kyro by any chance?"

"Yeah, I did." He says but then doesn't continue. I wait for a moment.

"Well. Are you going to telling to tell me?"

"Oh. Right… Last I saw of Theresa she was jamming a sword into someone's stomach. And Kyro… I thought he was going to go for the closest thing us so I practically raced him to the first backpack. I got there first but was taken off guard when he continued on to the Cornucopia. I saw him again when I was ripping my spear out of another tributes hands before I saw you and Felli. He was fighting for his life against some tribute from–"

_Boom! _

Fifteen are dead now.

"From the Western Section. I think he won though 'cause I could've sworn I saw him running for an exit as I grabbed hold of you. What were you thinking anyways? Attacking Felli like that. Did you want to get killed?" He asks.

"Do you see my eye?" He stops and turns to face me before nodding. "Felli did that to me _before _we were in the tubes."

"Ok… It makes sense more since now. I knew you hated her, I mean you two were always at each other's throats. But I didn't think that you would full on jump at her like that."

"I was disorientated." I say crossing my arms. "What do you want to do?"

"I want you take one of these backpacks so that I'm not carrying both of them." I smile at him at take one of them.

_Boom!_

That makes sixteen. Don't worry Celi, I'm on the front line but I'll be just fine. After all, the story is just beginning. If I die it won't be soon.

* * *

**Captiolrebel13: Ok listen up. The school year is about to start. I'm not going to stop writing but the update may be a little longer than usual. **

**Paylor: So does Theresa die on the first day? Does Kyro die on the first? You'll just have to wait and see. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Captiolrebel13: I have a few things to say. One: I know I said that updates will take longer because of school but it's Labor Day so I decided to cut you guys a break. Two: the Capitol Games are similar to the first two Quarter Quells. There are 48 tributes, 24 were chosen at the Reapings and 24 were voted on. Three (this is the most important one): things are never as they seem. I hope Chelen knows her enemies.**

**Chelen: I do... now **

* * *

Last night… Last night sixteen kids appeared in the sky… Theresa wasn't one of them and neither was Kyro. That's a good thing; it means they're still alive. But it's also a bad thing because it means they're still alive. And if they're still alive and Yansen is still alive and I'm still alive and only one can come out alive… I don't want to think about it, it'll only give me a headache. Thirty-two. There are thirty-two tributes left.

I wake up to someone shaking me. Yesterday Yansen and I wandered around the ruin of District 13 to see exactly what was here. There wasn't much, just building. No water supply, no food to be found. On the bright side, we could see a forest in the distance the whole time. By the time night fell we decided that it would be too dangerous to stay out in the open and it would also be too dangerous to finally enter the woods, so we climbed to the roof of some building that wasn't too high up but wasn't low either. Anyways. When I open my eyes I see Theresa was standing over me.

"I could have killed you." She says and straightens up. She crosses her arms as she waits for me to come more aware.

"But you didn't." I yawn and look over to where I last saw Yansen. He's nowhere to be seen. "Yansen?"

"He was gone when I got here." She says. There's something off about her voice, like she was just forced to say she was sorry when she really wasn't. I stand up.

"How did you find me?" I ask and yawn again.

"I was on a higher building and saw you sleeping here." She shrugs. "You were supposed to come find me after the countdown ended."

"I kind of got held up." I say and bring my hand to my black eye. It doesn't hurt as much and I can open it a little bit but it's still pretty useless. I relate the story about what happened with Felli to Theresa. When I'm done, she stares at my necklace for a long time with a blank expression.

"Let's get out of here." I say. "I haven't had anything to drink since yesterday morning and I'm thirsty. Let's see if there's a creek nearby in the woods." I point toward the forest and she finally takes her eyes off my necklace and smiles at me.

"Yeah, let's get moving. We don't any other tributes to find us. Besides, I'm thirsty. There's probably a creek nearby in the woods." Didn't I just say that? "And you get set up snares and hunt something while I look for water." She starts jumping down before I get the chance to say anything. I sigh before following. If we're a team why is she already in the forest by the time I reach the ground? As she disappears into the trees I notice her sword for the first time. Yansen had a spear but unless there's something in my pack, I'm defenseless.

I wander through the tress for a little bit, trying to put as much distance between me and the ruins of 13 as possible. After a good half hour I turn around to make sure I can't see 13 any longer. I can't. Good, now it's starting to look more like an Arena. I turn back around but as I do–

_Wham!_

Something slams into me. I stumble forward but otherwise I'm able to stay on my feet. The person who hit me however didn't get so lucky and ended falling to the ground.

"Ow. That really hurt." He says as he sits up. He looks to about thirteen or fourteen, that's way too young to be in these Games. His outfit is yellow whereas mine is black. His skin is tan and his hair is a perfect bronze.

"If you thought that hurt just wait till these Games start heating up." I say to him reaching down to help him stand. He's got a bow but no arrows nor does he have backpack.

"I guess you're right. I'm Jacob Melcar from the Eastern Section." So he's one of those businessmen.

"I'm–"

"Chelen Heavensway. I know you are. Everyone knows who you are."

Everyone knows me? Oh, how wonderful. My mother spent her life becoming someone while I've spent my life becoming invisible. Everyone knowing who you are makes it hard to maintain and hard to get by. That doesn't matter now I suppose, I just hope that when I'm dead and this whole thing is over, they'll leave my family alone.

"You're cool."

What did he just say? I zoned out there for a moment. I look back towards Jacob; he's now smiling at me.

"What?"

"You're cool. You dress strange but you're cool." What? How does he know I dress strange? He's only seen me in my reeping dress, if at all that. Everything else was what all tribute were required to wear.

"A strange thing to say, considering we're wearing basically the same thing." He gives me a nervous laugh. I turn and walk away and hear him following me. "Is there something you want?" I ask not stopping to look at him.

"Oh umm…"

"You want to be allies?" I say assuming that's what he wants.

"Not really. I just… I don't want to be alone." His voice is shaking and by the way he's talking he sounds like he's staring at the ground. I shake my head and sigh.

"You can go… I don't know" I think and look around, then spot a bush with bluish black berries. I pick some.

"Not those. They're poisonous." I look back at him. "Some girl told me."

"Some girl?" I ask

"Yeah. I was picking some berries when she came running past me. She stopped and told me that they were poisonous. When I asked her how she knew she said that she was an expert with poisons. Then she ran off and I ran into you a few minutes later."

"What did she look like?"

"She had long lime green hair and a dark blue Arena outfit. She also had a sword on her."

Theresa? Theresa's on expert with poisons? "That would be my partner. Did you find some edible berries?" He nods his head. "Then go pick some more. Meet back here." He doesn't budge.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise." I say. He smiles and runs off. I sit down and sigh. Theresa, you better have found some water.

I swing my pack around and unzip it. Inside are fifteen throwing daggers attached to a belt. They don't look like they came with the pack; did Yansen get them for me? I push the thought from my mind and fish through it some more. There are also night-glasses, ten matches, a rope, a container with nothing in it, and some bandage wrapping. There's also a folded up piece of paper. I stare at for a moment. What is this? Instructions maybe, but to what? I unfold it find Yansen's handwriting. The note's written in blood. **Don't trust Theresa. Something's off about her. **I look up making sure no one's around. There more written on the note. **Went to find Kyro. The coward's got something to tell you. Meet us at the Cornucopia Dome at high noon in three days.** I fold the paper back up and tuck into the pocket of my pants.

I take off my coat and place the belt around my wait. I fold the coat up and stuff it into pack along with the rest of the thing that came with it.

I take off one of the knives and run it along. What's Yansen got up his sleeve? He may have gotten a four in the private sessions but he's not dumb. In fact, he's very clever, much like that District 5 girl from the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games.

"AHHH!"

I look up. Celi! I jump and take off running, not away from the scream but toward it. It can't be Celi! It can't be Celi. I volunteered for her, she's not here. But what if that was a dream. What if I didn't volunteer for her and my name was drawn before hers. That would make us both in tributes. How could I be so stupid? I actually ignored her the whole week of training. She must think I abandoned her. On my way to Celi I almost trip three times over rocks but I never slow my pace.

When I finally get there and I burst through the trees and bushes, I almost fall down a steep hill the opens into a small clearing. After regaining my balance, I get a good look at the girl who screamed. She is not Celi. Of course she is not Celi. I volunteered for her and I am in the Games. Though the girl is not Celi, she looks like she about a year older than her. Above her is another girl, she looks to be about a year older than me. In her hands is a double sided spear and she holds it above her head as though she's about to stab the younger girl.

Suddenly the older girl screams and drops her spear. A knife is sticking out of her left hand. She glares up at me. Did I throw that knife? I had to have, I'm the only other person here and one of my knives is missing. I jump down and take out three more knives. Just as the older girl is about to go for her spear I throw another knife, this time getting her in her side.

Catching on to what is happening, the younger girl grabs hold of the spear. She hits the older girl in the head with the pole and the older one stumbles backward. I run up to her and as she about to regain her balance I elbow her in the nose. She falls to the ground…

Where's the cannon boom? Is she not dead? I kneel before and check her pulse. She's not dead. I take out my two knives and reattach them to my belt. I stand back up.

"Let's get out of here." I say.

The girl look between me and her attacker. "Aren't you going to kill her?" She asks.

"You're the one with the spear, be my guest. Besides I'm not a killer."

The girl looks back at the older girl. "She'll come after me again. Even if she dies in here she wants to be the one to kill me."

"Then we'll deal with her when she comes back but for now let's get out of here. I don't want Jacob thinking I abandon him."

I jerk my thumb toward the steep hill we're going to have to climb up. How nice. I went into these Games expecting not to have a single ally other than Theresa. Now I have Theresa, Jacob, this girl, and… do I count Yansen? I suppose I can, after all he wants me to meet him in three days. But do I go? Yes, I think I will. I don't care if Theresa likes him or not, I'm going.

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**Captiolrebel13: I had written Jacob and the girl ( you'll find out her name in the next chapter) for an earlier chapter but I wanted to get to the Games already so I cut them out. But now I brought them back, which makes me happy because I really like them.  
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	21. Chapter 21

**Capitolrebel13: I am sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry for such a long update. Like I said school just started and well, the teachers weren't kind with homework. Now that I know what I'm up for at school I'll be better with update. Anyways, in this chapter you get an insight on what Terra, Chelen's mother, was like. You also get find the name of the girl from the last chapter and what her story is.**

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"I found a creek," Theresa says when she finds us again. Her smile disappears when she sees I have two other people with me. "Who are these kids?"

I look up from what I'm doing. "This is Jacob and that it Tresa." I say motioning toward each of them. When I look at Tresa I see she's become very tense. "They're my allies."

"Ok?" Theresa looks at Jacob but doesn't mention that she ran into him earlier. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making arrows." Since Jacob doesn't have any I thought I'd at least make him some. If I don't, the bow will be useless. Next to me Tresa is weaving a quiver. Jacob himself is making a little fire. While Jacob and Tresa got to know each other I went out and caught three of small birds. Now that Theresa's back, she can pick the feathers off.

"Someone's going to be coming after us." I say and toss a knife to her as she sits down.

"What?" She picks up a bird and starts picking off the feathers one by one.

"Her name's Melki and she want to kill Tresa. Since you're so comfortable with killing Theresa, you can be the one to kill her."

"Melki?" Jacob says. Tresa had told me the story on our way back to my meeting place with Jacob so he didn't hear the story. He stops trying to make a fire, which is fine because he's not really succeeding.

"Melki and her family are longtime friends of my family. She and my older sister used to torture me so much. To my sister it was just fun and games but to Melki… Well, I knew she had it out for me. My sister never believed me and neither did my parents. I was chosen at the Reaping and she was voted in. I think she wanted to come in when she found out I was chosen."

"That sucks kid," Theresa says then turns to Jacob. She pulls some paper out of her pocket. "Here, use this to help start that fire. The sooner it's lit up the soon we be able to eat these birds. And If you're making arrows who caught them?"

"I did." I say. "I throw some knives at them."

Theresa tenses up and takes a step back as if I've actually just become a contender in these Games. "You're… that good at throwing knives?" She asks. I nod my head.

"She's even better than that." Tresa says. "She saved me from Melki by hitting her with her knives and elbowing her in the nose."

"Why didn't you kill her then?" Theresa asks.

"I'll kill when the time comes and the time hasn't come yet." I calmly say then stand up. I hand the arrow over to Jacob. "You said you found a creek nearby?" Theresa nods her head. "Show me."

She turns back toward the way she came. I follow her. The whole time Theresa has her hand on her sword, which in turn makes me keep one hand a knife. Wait a second. Why am I holding onto a knife? This is Theresa I'm with. I've known her for almost seven years now. She's not going to attack me. She's just holding onto her sword in case another tribute comes by and attacks us. That's it, I have nothing to wearing about. I take my hand off my knife.

"_What are you doing?" Peeta asks. Caesar is leaning on one elbow, picking at the desk with his hand. "You're on live TV."_

"_What does it look like I'm doing?"_

"_It looks like you're not putting in an effort to care about what is going on in the Arena." Peeta sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. _

"_I not because I don't."_

"_What?" _This is better. At least he's talking. Paylor and Gale would hate it if Caesar just sat here and did nothing.

"_I'm not putting in an effort to act like I care because I don't care." Caesar falls silent again. _

_Peeta looks up at the screens that show the Arena. Chelen and her partner are walking toward the creek. The tributes Jacob and Tresa are switching weapons. The tribute Yansen is running out of a mining tunnel. The tribute Kyro lies on the beach staring at the sky. Peeta looks back at Caesar. _

"_Did you hate Gale?" Caesar suddenly asks._

"_When?"_

"_Before the Reaping of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games."_

"_No, I didn't hate him. I was jealous of him but I didn't hate him. Sometimes I would imagine what it would be like if I was out in the woods hunting with Katniss. I would imagine her teaching me how to shoot her arrows and set up snares. I lost count of how many times I told myself I would talk to her but obviously it didn't work out. She never noticed me until the Reaping though."_

"_That's not true." Caesar says siting up. "She noticed long before the Reaping."_

"_How do you know? Did she tell you?"_

_Caesar shakes his head. "No, but I can tell by the way she talks about you. She's been in love since the day you tossed her that bread. She didn't realize it until years later but she started felling for you then."_

"_Really? And what about you and Terra?"_

_Caesar thinks for a moment, trying to make sense of where Peeta is taking the conversation. "What about me and Terra?"_

"_She's Chelen's mom and she's used to be your best friend. Don't try to tell me you didn't have some kind of a crush on her."_

_Caesar smiles and turns his head away from Peeta. "Of course I did but then again you'd have to be blind not to have some kind of a crush on her. But the people of Panem don't want to hear about me."_

"_Oh I think they do. After all, what do we really knew about Caesar Flickerman. I think you should stop trying to be the interviewer for once and let yourself be interviewed." _

_Caesar shakes his head his head and smiles. _This guy can replace me on my own show. _Caesar throws his hands up in the air. "Alright Peeta, you can be the interviewer for once. Then you'll see it's not so easy after all."_

"_Ok, were you or were you not in love with Terra Heavensway?" _

"_In love? I wouldn't go so far as to say that I was in love with her." Caesar laughs._

"_Really Caesar? Really?"_

"_Ok, I was in love with her but only for a little while. Can you blame me though? I mean come on, Terra steps in and saves my show then makes me the biggest name on television. She would also defend me against President Snow. Plus, she was… She was the bad girl in town. I was raised to be polite to everyone and to make them feel special by putting them before myself. I was also raise to follow protocol, which in the Capitol it means you don't question the Hunger Games or President Snow, you talk at quite tone, you dress like you're better the people in the Districts, you make fun of the people in the Districts, and, unless you live in the Political Section, you don't start arguments. _

"_Now Terra… Well you see she was loud, she was rude, she was a criminal. She had been arrest five times before she was even eighteen. She dressed in dark colors but her clothes weren't exotic like you see most Capitol people. And when I met her I was scared out of my mind and yet excited at the same time. When I came into her office to meet her, she was sitting on a table with lit cigar, not a cigarette, a cigar, in her mouth and she was looking over some paperwork. Now the table she was sitting on was under an open window so it's not like her office was filled with smoke. I think I made a joke about how smoking is bad for you and she smiled, took one last puff, then tossed the cigar out the window._

"_I thought she was going to be mean as hell but she wasn't. She was actually very nice and funny, she was just very troubled and she didn't hide it. For our generation and at that age, we didn't know what to think of the Hunger Games or of our government. And I'm sure that the generation before us and after us felt the same why. We were just taught not to express our confusion or our doubt. Not that that's an excuse for us. But like I said, Terra didn't hide it; she didn't obey protocol in anyway. That first day we met, she and I hit it off really well and she became my best friend. She was that bad girl, that insubordinate person that everyone wished they had the guts to be, not that anyone would admit to that."_

"_You two obviously didn't end up together. What happened?"_

_Caesar laughed. "I never told her how I felt but she made it clear that she knew. She also made it clear that she saw me as a brother more than anything. Plus she met Jake, Chelen and Celi's father. I hated him at first but got used to him. He really made Terra happy, so I decided to move on. It was better for her to be with him rather than me anyways. She had this fire to her and I fueled it while Jake simmered it. By the time Chelen was born Jake had mellowed her out, not completely but to the point where she wasn't getting arrested all the time, she wasn't out all night long all the time. She was ready to be a mother. _

"_Now being a mother didn't change her that much. She was still loud and rude as ever. But you know she just had to watch herself more carefully for Chelen and Celi's sake. Still I'm surprised that she wasn't dead a lot sooner, what with the way she spoke about President Snow." Caesar smiled to himself and shook his head. "Terra was something else, I'll tell you that."_

The creek was not that big, certainly not a river, but it was big enough to drink from. It was three feet wide and a foot deep.

"Is that good enough for you?" Theresa asks and for some reason it doesn't sound like she joking.

I laugh nervously and say, "Yes it is." I bend down and cup some water in my hands and start to drink. I've never felt so thirsty in my entire life, water never tasted so good. I cup another handful water to splash on my face when I feel a hand on the back of my head force my down. I try to push my face out of the water but to no avail, whatever has me pinned down is strong than I am. Everything goes black.

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**Chelen: I'm not dead for all those who are wondering.**

**Katniss: You're just drowning.**

**Chelen: Shut up!**

**Katniss: I told you to know who you're enemies are.**

**Chelen: No, you told me to find water and I found it.**

**Kyro: She did tell us to know our enemy and technically you didn't find it.**

**Chelen: Whatever! I get to it didn't I? **

**Yansen: And now you're drowning in it.**

**Chelen: Why is everyone being so mean to me. Mom wouldn't be like that.**

**Celi: Yes she would. In fact, she would be the worst. Remember, Caesar said that she was loud and rude. **

**Chelen: Celi, whose side are you on.**

**Celi: Truth, justice, and pursuit of happiness.**

**Chelen: It would bring me happiness to get out of these Games.**

**Caesar: Anyways: Review.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Capitolrebel13: You guys meet a very important character in this chapter though your won't see her again except through people talking about her. Also I haven't done a disclaimer in a while: I don't own the Hunger Games but then again nobody does.**

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_I remember my head being held under water and everything going black but that's it._ _I don't remember opening my eyes or getting up. One minute everything black and the next I'm walking down a shoreline. To my right is an endless desert. To my left is an endless ocean… Something doesn't feel right here. There's no place in Panem that resembles this place, at least to my knowledge there's not. That aside, there's also this feeling in the air, like I'm real but this place isn't. My lunges tighten and water rushes into them and up to my nose but the feeling passes just as suddenly as it came. I stop walking to catch my breath and when I look up I see a girl standing in the water fifty feet away from me._

_There is no one else here and I have no idea what's going on. I might as well talk to her. As I get closer I can see that there is a cigar in her mouth and her pants are rolled up to her knees. Her entire outfit it black and her hair is long and dark red. Around her waist, like a belt, is a chain that is hooked together with a small pad lock. I walk into the water and stop when she is about five feet away._

"_How older are you?" She asks after a painfully long silence._

"_Seventeen."_

"_And how old is Celi?"_

"_Twelve."_

"_I bet__ she looks just like your dad__,__ doesn't she." I guess she does but I don't see what that has to do with anything. "I wish I could've gotten to know her. I wish I could be there as she grows up."_

"_Who are you?" I ask. She looks about my age but if she is than how does she knew Celi?_

"_Who am I? Oh that doesn't really matter but if you want a riddle than allow me to amuse you. 'I am the one trapped on land when I long for water. Defender to the Panem's beloved entertainer. I paint it black and take it back. I am defiant to end and I shout it loud and clear.' Does that help you?"_

"_No," I plain out say._

"_I didn't think so. Oh well, I was never good at riddles anyways__, making them or solving them. There was a reason why I was never in front of the camera.__"_ _She laughs and takes a puff of her cigar._

"_You know you're not supposed to inhale, right?" I say, I don't smoke but I do know a __thing or two._

"_Yes I know but it's boring to stand there a cigar and not inhale. Besides that, inhaling is like a second nature for me. What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be winning the Death Games or the Revenge Games or whatever you want to call them?"_

"_The Capitol Games." I tell her._

"_Whatever. They're all about revenge and death regardless if you call them Hunger or Capitol. But like I said, aren't you supposed to be winning them?"_

"_No, I never stood a chance." Water comes rushing into my lunges again and I start to gag, this time coughing up bl__ood. A hot pain shoots though out my body but then vanishes._

"_Really? That's not what Celi thought. In fact she made you promise that you would try to win." Pain hits me, not physical but mental, and I flinch when she mention the promise. "Well__,__ let me tell you missy, this isn't the place you want to be if you plan on keeping that promise."_

"_But what is this place?"_

"_This place?" She looks around at where we are as if to see it for the first time. "Oh, this place isn't real and it doesn't matter either. It's just a figment of you state of mind."_

"_But where am I?" I demanded. This place is too strange to be in my head. And her carefree cheery attitude is tap dancing on my nerves._

"_Where are you? Why, you're at a choice my dear."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, it'__s a rare opportunity really." Her voice suddenly changes and becomes a scary type of serious. "Look at it this way: when someone dies there is a path between the world of the living and the world of the dead. And that path looks like anything the person wants to and you want it to look like a beach. Normally the person who has died follows that path from one world to the other without any delay. However there are times when Fate comes and puts a stop sign in the person's way. That person has a choice. There is something going on in the world of the living that's so important that there can be two outcomes to it. That outcome all depends on if that person chooses life or death. _

"_Tak__e the second rebellion of example: During the third Quarter Quell when Katniss blew up the force field, the shook was enough to kill her. On her way to join the dead Katniss's father stood in her path and told that she had a choice. She could join him in the world of the dead or she could turn right back around and fight for the world of the living. Her choice that she made is obvious seeing as you're here right now."_

"_What happens if I choose death?" I ask._

"_No one would blame you. More people have chosen death over life."_

"_Not 'what happens to me'. What happens to the world of the living?"_

"_Now I cannot tell you that. One: it would be cheating. And two: I do not know. No ever does."_

"_How did you die?" I ask. I know her from somewhere, I know I do, but from where?_

"_Ah, the doctors say they couldn't identify the illness but I don'__t know. I think they could__,__ they were just silenced by Snow. Not that it matters now__,__ dead is dead, right? And I have no affect over you and your sister's lives except for the lessons that I left behind in you. Celi was too young at the time to remember hardly anything of me but you remember some. I know you do. And I know that somewhere in the back of your mind you know who I am. Now your choice is to come with me and watch world events play out knowing you can't do anything about them or you can return to your life, win the Games, and show everyone exactly what it is that these Games do to people. The choice is yours and yours alone."_

"_And if I return to life I will win the Games?"_

"_Now that's not a guaranteed, it was simply an example. If you win the Capitol Games or not is solely on you and the way you play things out." She waves her hand and takes another puff._

"_So if I got with you then I'm dead. If I go back I may die again or I may win. Hmm… I think going back would be in my best interest." No sooner do I say the words, the world around me starts to fade away. The water comes back and I start gagging… again. _

"_Tell__ them I love them__," the girl say__s. "Celi and Jake and Caesar. Tell them I love them. Oh and one more thing before you leave." She turns to face me and I recognize her eyes… Those eyes… The eyes that I used to see before I went to sleep. "The food I ate the night I first got sick… It tasted strange, like there was something added to it that didn't belong." _

_Then she, and the world around us, is gone._

I struggle to open my eyes. I hear someone calling out my name but I don't want to wake up. Where's the point in waking up? The pain is too strong. I should have chosen death. I can't possibly.

"Chelen!" The voice yells. It belongs to a young boy. Jacob? "Chelen! Wake up!"

Who told the sun it could be so bright? Doesn't it have any manners? It does know that it can blind people right? I roll my head from side to side, squeezing my eyes shut, and moan escapes my lips.

"Good. You're alive." The voice says. Did a cannon go off? If it didn't of course I'm still alive. "We were scared that you were going to die."

"Aren't we all too young to die?" I ask sitting up. The world won't stop spinning but even in the madness I can make out Jacob and Tresa standing over me. No one else is here with them… Of course no one is here with them. Who else would be here?

"What happened?" I ask, leaning over and start coughing again.

"She had your head under water when we got here." Tresa says. "I shot her in the back with an arrow and Jacob got her in the shin with his spear. After that, as we were trying to revive you, she ran off."

"How nice. Did anyone die while I was… in dreamland?" They shake their heads in unison. Good. That means she hasn't killed anyone else.

"She killed my brother." Tresa says. I look up at her and tilt my head to the side. "He was chosen too. No one really made a big deal that two siblings were going in because… well, neither one of us volunteered. He had the best aim ever and in the private lessons he said that he hit every target dead on with a bow. He got an eleven, one point behind you. She was the one who killed him at the Cornucopia." He must have been the guy Yansen was talking about when he had last seen her at the Cornucopia.

"Is that why you have the bow now and Jacob has the spear?" I ask, rubbing the back of my head to try to ease the pain.

"Yes. I may not be as good with a bow as my brother but I can manage."

"How long was I out?" I ask and stand up.

"A few minutes." Jacob says then bends down and grabs a handful of water. Tresa does the same. "She couldn't have gone far if you want to chase after her."

I shake my head. I have more important things to worry about than chasing after her. She's injured, she'll die soon enough. "What about those birds?" I ask.

"They're cooking, though I supposed we better get back to them before someone finds them or they get burnt." Tresa says. She doesn't wait for me or Jacob before she starts walking away. Jacob and I stand in silence for a moment.

"I knew the Games change people but I didn't think they changed people that quick." I say.

"Unless she was never your friend." I whip my head over to him and he flinches and looks down.

"Are you trying to say that for the past six years she pretended to be my friend?"

"Oh no– I just– don't listen to me. I don't– know what I'm talking about." Jacob stutters, waving his hands in front of him and taking a few steps back.

I shake my head and jog to catch up with Tresa. She's already made back to fire and is flipping the birds over so that they cook evenly. I climb a tree that's close to them, nearly falling a few times, so that I can rest but am still able to keep an eye over the two. When the birds are done Jacob turns up his nose at them but after some convincing his takes one. Tresa tosses me up my bird and catch it with ease.

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**Caesar****: Classic Terra. She would inhale while everyone less doesn't.**

**Katniss: Chelen you're mother seems pretty cool.**

**Chelen: Thanks.**

**Celi: I miss her.**

**Chelen: Ahh, Celi you've got me.**

**Celi: But you're not Mom.**

**Chelen: Thanks kid, you make me feel so good about myself.**

**Peeta: Chelen, I didn't know you knew how to climb trees.**

**Chelen: I don't, not really. Didn't you read the chapter? I nearly few out of it a few time just trying to get up there.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Capitolrebel13: Ok, this is looooong over due. I'm sorry for such a long update. That first term of school was painful and my computer decided it wanted to get a infected. I don't know how many times I started this chapter only to have me computer shut itself down. From this point forward I'm going to outline each chapter so that I can keep track of things. Like I said, I'm sorry that I've taken so long.**

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If none of you don't mind, which you better not, I am about to go over everything I know about myself and what has happened to me through-out my life. I know that you are all caught up with everything about me but you are not the one in the Arena who is slowly losing her mind. Ok let's begin.

My name is Chelen Heavensway, and I have no relations to Plutarch _Heavensbee_, and I have a younger sister named Celi. My mother was the largest name in the Entertainment Section as the best advertiser/producer. She died of some unknown disease when I was ten and she's been dead of seven years. Ever since then I've taken over the as the head caretaker of my family since my father fell into depression. Every year as punishment for an uprising, the Districts of Panem had to send one boy and girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. The Districts rebelled again two years ago and won. Now the Capitol has to send six boys and six girls from each of the four Sections to compete in the Capitol Games. Celi was chosen at the Reaping and I volunteered in her place. Now I am in the Capitol Games. I was recently betrayed by my friend who tried to kill me. It didn't work, I'm still alive. There, now that we have all that figured out, let's move on with the story.

It's been three days since the Games started, two since I nearly drowned, and twenty kids are dead. There are now twenty-eight kids left, me included of course. Yansen is still alive and so is Ky–.

"Jacob! You said that it was really close." Tresa yells. "We've been walking for like three hours! I doubt that there even is a lake in here at all."

This morning Jacob told us that he found a lake on the first day. He's showing us the way but he can't seem to remember how to get there.

"I told you, it's not a lake." Jacob says. He let go of the branch that he moved out of his way. It flies back and hits Tresa in the face. Before she has the chance to explode at Jacob, I interrupt.

"And remind us again why it isn't lake." Tresa catches on and she keeps her mouth shut.

"I took a drink of the water when I first got there and it was really salty. Lakes only have fresh water. I squinted my eye and saw that there were docks across the way."

"District 4." I say. My two companions stop and turn to look at me.

"The middle of the Arena is District 13, the woods are District 7, and the lake is supposed resemble the ocean and with the docks there it's clearly District 4. It wouldn't surprise me if there is a mine shaft here for District 12, a grain field for District 9, an orchid for District 11, and a farm for District 10. I have no idea what they'd do for the other Districts." They stare at me with like I'm speaking a different language. "I use to go out into the Districts to earn money for me family. I know what the Districts look like." My voice is cold but I can't help it. They have no idea what life was like for the District people and they and their parents never cared enough to find out. I push past them.

"Forget the lake. The sun is going down and I need to be at the Cornucopia Dome at noon tomorrow. I'm meeting someone and before of you ask and yes you two can come." I walk away without a response.

"AHHHHH!"

Great not again. The last time I heard a scream it was Tresa who I mistaken for Celi screaming. As much as I don't really want to, I take off running toward the person screaming. I guess it's in my instincts to help people. Now normally that would be a good trait but in the Arena… well, you already know what the price is. On the bright side, I can't mistake this person for Celi because Celi doesn't scream like a boy. From behind me I hear Tresa and Jacob chasing after and calling out to me but I don't stop.

"Ah!" The sound escapes my lips a second before I hit the ground. A bone crushing roar pierces the air. I force my arms to push me up to my knees. I look back to find my right foot is caught on a root. As I untangle them I become aware of the liquid dripping from my nose. You're kidding me right? After everything I've been through, a face plant in the dirt is what makes me bleed, not even the acid waste at the Cornucopia did that.

Another reaches my ears and I jump to me. I take off running again.

"Last I check people run away from terrifying roars, not toward them." Jacob yells at me when him and Tresa have finally caught up with me. His logic makes sense, why would anyone run toward something that could kill them? But I made a promise to Celi…

Actually, I made two promises to Celi which seem contradicting each other at this moment. One: I would try to make it out alive and two: I wouldn't let the Games change me. The Chelen she knows wouldn't ignore someone in help. But would helping them bring the end of me?

_Paylor frowns at the scene on front of her. Gale had told about the muttation but she had not seen it until now. It was far worse then she thought it was. It was designed to be used the 76__th__ Hunger Games but since those Games never came about the muttation was put under hibernation. Gale had also said that he had it modified to degree._

But can he control it? _Paylor thinks. She taps absent-mindedly on her desk as the three boys and two girls fight against the muttation. There was another boy who is off in the background, begging them to stop and to run. He is the easiest target yet muttation does not once acknowledged him. It lifts its paw in the air and lunges for the oldest boy, killing him in one strike. At the same time, from the far left of the screen, Paylor sees the Heavensway Girl –Boom!– burst onto the scene. Her breath has abandoned her because of the running. Her eyes are wide and her face is snow white. If Paylor did not know any better, she would swear the poor girl had seen a ghost._

_The muttation does not show her any attention until she picks up a rock and throws it. Paylor lets out a small laugh and shakes her head. _What is wrong with this girl? First she tries to kill one of her Section partners, then she saves this other girl, and now she's trying to save these kids by attacking the damn thing? Out of all the tributes the Hunger Games have seen none have been as conflicted and interesting as her.

I blink twice. It's staring at me now. A rock came from my direction but I doubt Tresa or Jacob would throw it. I squeeze my eyes shut while lifting my hand up. Please don't let there be gravel, please don't let there be gravel. I open my eyes. There's gravel on them, why wouldn't there be gravel on them? I threw the stupid rock after all. The muttation has its full attention on me now.

"Tresa, Jacob. Run." I say.

"Where?" Tresa asks.

Before I get the chance to even think of my answer one of the girls of this this group hits the muttation with her whip. It turns its attention to her, jumps at her and bites into her neck. There's a scream and them –_Boom!_ Her body drops to the ground.

"Run!" I yell. "Everyone! Don't just stand there staring at it. Run!" The boy who wasn't fighting takes off running back into the wood. He was the one who was screaming, I can just telling. The other girl chases after him. There are now two boys left still willing to fight. "Are you two crazy? Get out of here unless you want to die!"

"No!" The older looking one shouts. "Then it'll go after you."

Ok? And his point is? So comes after me. What do they care? But as much as I want answer I know I can't change their minds about fleeing, their eyes say it all. I turn and run off in the opposite direction the other two ran off in. I don't need to motion for Tresa and Jacob to follow, why would they want to stay here with that thing?

After ten minutes of running I hear – _Boom! Boom!_ Fear settles in the pit of my stomach and it grows so strong that I have to stop running. Tresa and Jacob stop and stare at me. My eyes fall to the ground and my teeth begin to chatter. It's coming after me, I just know it is.

"Chelen what's wrong?" Tresa asks but I don't answer her. I whip my eyes around in a frantic. A spot a tipped over train that's weathered down.

"Come with me," I say and take off at full speed. The sun is near gone now and I barely have any light to see what I'm doing. I climb aboard and start pounding on the windows with my foot.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asks, helping Tresa up. That same bone crushing roar fills the air and Tresa and Jacob exchange a look.

I nearly fall in when I finally break one of the windows. "Here! Get in here and stay quiet!" I grab at both of them, pulling them toward the broken window.

"But Chelen," Jacob tries to protest though doesn't fight me.

"It's after me, not you!"

"Why? All you did was throw a rock? It's completely illogical." Tresa says.

"I know but," I push her and Jacob up down into the train. They both hit the ground on their hands and look back up. "These are the Capitol –no– Hunger Games and there is nothing logical about kids killing kids yet alone anything else that goes on in the Arena. Now stay quiet!" I hear another roar, this time _a lot _closer. For a brief second I look in the direction the roar came from. I can't see anything but I can hear trees rustling around. I take off running. And run I did until–

WHAM!

OW! My nose hurts like hell. I'm back to laying on the ground, well, the side of the train. Considering I keep falling I might as well stay down. I bring my hand to my nose. It was still sore from when I tripped earlier and now it's just in searing pain. I look up at what– who hit me.

"Where's your sword? Don't you think that would have done more damage to me?" I ask.

"Perhaps," she says. "But that would have killed you. And luck be have it, you were looking back the entire time so I figured I might as get an amusing fight out of you." She throws the pipe to the ground and draws out her sword. I stagger to my feet and draw out two of my knives, because you know, knives are _such_ a great defense weapon against a sword. I try to keep my breathing calm but I know she can see through it. Her eyes tell me she can see through it.

She lunges at me. I instantly drop to my knees to keep from getting my head cut off. I get to my hands and swipe my feet under hers. She falls on her back, losing grip on her sword. I throw a knife at her hand but it only grazes it. She grabs her sword and once she's back on her feet I lunge at her the same way I did Felli. She loses her grip on her sword again as we fall over. From somewhere behind us I feel the train shake. The muttation has finally reached the train.

We roll around the train, one of my knives in her shoulder and one of her hands on my throat. The train continues to shake on the muttation jumps from car to car. Her free hand, the one that was on my shoulder, comes up and grabs hold on my hair. She pulls it back and rolls on top of me. A scream escapes my lips but I don't fight back. In fact, when she slams my head again one of the train windows I start laugh. She tenses up and her grip on me loosens but I pretend not to notice.

"What? What's wrong with you?" She asks.

Instead of answering right away I continue to laugh. The people back home get one hell of a thrill watching me in these Games.

"What's wrong with me?" I finally answer back. The train's shaking is becoming more violent. "Oh, I've been asking myself that same question for years. But if I never got an answer what makes you think you will?" I look her dead in the eyes than before she can even blink them I reach up and grab my knife out of her shoulder. I shove her off of me and since we were close to the edge, she falls to the ground. I stand up only to be tackled once more.

I keep my eyes shut as the muttation's breath heats my face. My head involuntarily rolls to the side. From somewhere to side I hear the tress rustle. So she's not hanging around to see what happens.

"Come on, all I did was throw a rock. Not even a rock, it was like pebble really. Can't we work out some kind of deal."

"Chelen!"

Damn it! Didn't I tell Jacob to wait in the train? If he attacks this thing, I swear if it doesn't kill him I will. The muttation leans up and looks back. I see Jacob ready his spear. Don't do it Jake, don't do it. Before he does anything, Jacob locks eyes with me. I shake my head at him and his angered expression softens. He looks at me with pitiful eyes before he stands down and backs away. The muttation ignores Jacob and turns back to me. It leans down and licks me face, probably trying to decide if I'm worth eating or just killing. I squeeze my eyes and hold be the instinct to puke, it's breath it a mix between wet dog and a cadaver. (Please, don't ask me how I know what person's dead body smells like.) It leans back up and takes off running down the train.

Hold on… What?… Did it just leave? I push myself on to my elbows and look off in its direction. The shaking of the train dies down as it gets farther and farther away.

"Maybe it didn't like the way you smelled." Jacob says as he walks up to me. I let my head fall and I run my hands through my hair.

* * *

**Jacob: You smelled pretty bad.**

**Chelen: Well, you didn't smell any better!**

**Jacob: But I'm a bad.**

**Chelen: And I'm a Chelen.**

**Jacob:... Fine, you win**


	24. Chapter 24

**Capitolrebel13: For all those who were asking about the muttation, there is a reason why I left out a description. You'll understand when you read this chapter. On a side note: if you see any errors please point them out so I can go back a fix them., thank you.**

* * *

"I don't understand," I say to myself. I'm leaning against the side of the turned-over train. The sun has just barely begun to rise.

"You don't understand what?" Jacob asks rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Tresa jumps down next to him. He didn't want to wake up and neither did she but I don't to waste time, I need to get back to the Cornucopia Dome.

"That muttation. What was it based off of?"

"What do you mean "what was it based off of"? It's a muttation. It doesn't need to be based off of anything." That stunned me, in fact that stunned me into complete silence. Tresa, the girl from the Education Section, appeared not to know a thing about what the muttation was.

"It looked like an over grown cat." Jacob says. "Does that help?"

"You'd have to be blind not to notice that." I say. "I meant like the animal it's strictly based off of."

Jacob and Tresa exchange a nervous look, like I've finally lost my mind. The jokes on them though, you can't lose what you never had– I mean, I haven't lost my mind.

"You mean, like a Tabby or a Siamese?" Tresa asks. She shifts her wait back and forth between her feet.

"No, I mean like a leopard or a lion."

"A what or a what?" Her voice cracks. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jacob bring a finger up to the side of his head and begins to move it in a circle formation.

"I am not crazy!" I snap at him. He jumps and brings his in front of him and waves them back and forth. I turn to Tresa "And you. You're from the Education Section right?" She nods her head. "Then, what the hell do they teach you about animals?"

"Not much. We usually just cover the domesticated ones. Oh and wild dogs and those big cats the live in the mountains. What were they called again?"

"Cougars." I say and her face brightens up.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Cougars. We also covered cougars. They're sooo cute. I swear, if I ever met one I would just go up to it and hold it and cuddle with it." She clasps her hands together and smiles.

"Chelen, your mouth is hanging open." Jacob says. I look over at him and snap my mouth shut.

"Tresa," I say. She looks back to me and her smile fades. "Do you want to die at the claws of a cougar?"

"No. Why would I? Die at the claws of a cougar I mean."

"Because." I walk over to her and push up the right sleeve of my coat. "They're not very friendly to people who are stupid enough to approach them. Particularly one with cubs."

Tresa looks down at my arm and gasps.

"What? I can't see." Jacob says and runs over. He stops dead in his tracks. My prep team never stopped asking about the scar. Carlil simply said that it must have hurt like hell, with a hint of laughter. I laughed back, telling him that I would have been happier if I got it caught in a meat grinder. He never asked, I think he could tell that I don't like talking about it.

"What happened?" Jacob asks.

"Jake!" Tresa snaps.

"What?"

I laugh and roll my sleeve back up. "If I got back to the Capitol 30 minutes later, I wouldn't have a right arm. And here's a fun fact about Chelen Heavensway: I used to be only right handed." It took a long time to get used to doing things with my left hand and when I finally did, I could use my right hand again. I took out a knife with left hand.

"It'll hit that tree over there right below the nook." I point a tree that's about fifteen feet from us. I take aim with my left hand and throw it. Just as I had said, the knife settles itself right below the nook and a bird flies out. I walk over to it and grab the knife. "Back to the matter at hand. The muttation looked like a clouded leopard."

"Do all clouded whatever–you–said, look that big?" Jacob asks.

"No, at least from what I've seen from books and stuff, that muttation was at least 3 times the size of an ordinary clouded leopard." I explain. Looking back in the direction the muttation ran off in, I wonder why it hadn't attack me. It certainly chased me down like it wanted to rip my head off.

"Are they still around?" Tresa asks me.

"I don't know. I can't remember their habitat but I know it's not in Panem. Regardless, it had this fuzzy puff ball thing at the end of its tail, kind of like a loin. The way it ran was way slower than its legs would suggest and I think… it was purring."

"Whatever it was," Jacob snaps and stomps his foot. "Can we just say it was mixture of cats and leave it at that? Why does it really matter anyways? And why are you standing there talking about it, Chelen, when you're the one who's in a hurry to get to the Cornucopia Dome?" With that said, Jacob turns and walks in the direction of the Cornucopia Dome. He does have a point. I'm the one who's meeting up with people; I shouldn't be wasting time… Still… Why didn't it attack?

Tresa and I share a look before walking to catch up with Jacob.

"What's got him all round up?" Tresa steps closer to me and whispers. I don't give her an answer. Instead I just shake my head. Jacob's a good five to seven feet ahead of us but I don't doubt that he could hear us. I push ahead of Tresa. I feel like I should ask what's wrong but… he's 14 and teenagers would rather shut people out before they opened up. Besides that, I don't want to unwittingly stumble into an off limits subject and walk away with a stab wound as my reward. I look up to the sky and take in a deep breath. When it's not nighttime and you can't see the grid, the sky actually looks nice.

I lick my lips and sallow what spit is left in my mouth. We haven't had water since yesterday and it's taking its toll on us. Well, it's taking its toll on me. We've been walking for nearly three hours and I'm thirsty and, at this point, I'm hunched over and dragging my feet. Yansen better be at the Cornucopia Dome and he better have water.

"How much farther?" Tresa whines.

"Like eternity." I mumble to myself.

"What?" She asks louder.

"Oh, not much longer." I quickly straighten up and say. The cheerfulness in my voice confuses her. She looks back at Jacob, who just shrugs. "And when we get there we can find a phone and order food and some kind of fountain." Rather that's a drinking fountain, soda fountain, or the Fountain of Youth, I don't even care, as long it has liquid. I turn my back to Tresa and my smile fades away. For the next thing I'm about to say, my voice is much quieter and hostile. "Who the hell thinks up a survival arena with hardly any water in it?"

Did it take this long to get this far away from the Cornucopia Dome because it doesn't feel like it? And was the sun always this hot? I'm burning up and the stupid rubber outfits don't help. I stop and look up at the sky. The sky is blue today, blue like the ocean… The ocean is made of water… Water is good for you… I let go of my senses and fall back.

"Chelen!" Tresa and Jacob scream. I bring my arm up to cover my eyes.

"Go on without me." I say my voice full of over-dramatic hopelessness. "I won't make it. I'll just slow you down. Tell Celi I love her and that I know that she will make it in life. Tell my father that I forgive him and that I'm sorry for being so cold these past few years. Tell Katniss that…" I can hear one pair of footsteps walking away. "ok I don't have anything to say to her. But tell Yansen that there are purple fish on orange Tuesdays. Don't worry, you won't get that but he will. Oh Hawthorn, why would you design an arena without any wat–" Suddenly there is water being splashed on my face.

"Hey stupid," Jacob says. That's just mean. I'm not stupid, I'm over dramatic. "There is a creek about ten feet from us."

Wait. A CREEK?! Like the kind with water?

"Did you always know that was there?" I ask bringing my arm down and opening one eye. He drops a cup on my chest.

"No, I saw it when you fell down."

"So, my speech was worth nothing then?"

"If you can call that a speech, then yes. Now go get some water so we can move on."

I stand up and look at the cup. "Where did you get this from?"

Jacob shrugs. "I had it, I guess."

I jog over to the creek and fill the cup with water before gulping it down once, twice, and finally a third time. I don't know if I ever mentioned this but when you're dehydrated, water taste like pure heaven. I toss the cup to Tresa. I wait for her and Jacob to finish drinking before taking in a deep breath.

"Ok, now that we all feel better. Onward to the Cornucopia!" I say, pointing in the direction of the ruined district. I take off running, leaving Tresa and Jacob with the choice to follow me or not.

* * *

**Jacob: You were being over dramatic.**

**Chelen: That's not my fault, I didn't write myself that way _somebody else _did.**

**Capitolrebel13: wasn't me.**

**Chelen: Who was it then?**

**Capitolrebel13: It was the purple fish on orange Tuesdays, duh.**

**Yasen: Hey, that's between Chelen and I!**

**Capitolrebel13: Actually it's between my friend and I, I just decided to give to you.**

**Chelen: No, Yansen and I decided to give to you and your friend.**

**Capitolrebel13: No, I gave to you ****because you're a fictional character.**

**Yansen: You're a fictional character.**

**Capitolrebel13: I am not.**

**Chelen: You're username is.**

**Kyro: Ignore them and please review. Oh and I also come back into the story! But yes, please review.**


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